The Hidden Truth
by Bludge
Summary: A suspect in a murder becomes a catalyst for helping the CISs realise their true feelings. But are they innocent or guilty? Pairings C/G and N/S. Please R&R. *Complete* Thanks to all who've reviewed so far :o)
1. Another Sunny Day

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hi. This is my first attempted at a CSI f/f. I'm used to doing Alias only, so please be gentle! Feedback is much appreciated. Good or bad I can take it. Feel free to e-mail me if you want. Well here it is. R&R and enjoy - Bex  
  
It was a sunny day. Not unusual for it to be one in Las Vegas, but today felt special. Different. Rosa Walker couldn't explain it, but something about the Sin City had changed, unnoticed by most people and by the day that mirrored the last.  
  
'Maybe it's just because I'm happier then normal,' Rose thought as she walked along the street from the bus stop, 'Even though I'm pretty damn happy most of the time. And why shouldn't I be? I love my life.'  
  
She was in a rich area of large expensive houses. This place was paradise for someone like her. A lifestyle she would never posses, which she knew, and yet it did bother her in the slightest.  
  
Rosa Walker, originally Lopez, was born in Venezuela and had spent most of her life being poor. She belonged to a large family with five other children and two adults. But that wasn't the cause of her poverty. The cause was her father's love of alcohol and his habit of throwing up all his wages behind the local bar. Then he would come home, completely drunk and hit...  
  
She scrunched up her eyes as she blocked the memory out of her mind. No one missed her or made any attempt to find her when she ran away at 17 and came to live here illegally. She got a job at a clothes factory, sewing clothes, hardly earning any money for the mind numbing hours she worked. Three years later she met Paul and fell in love. He helped to pay the fight against the courts so she could stay in America, when she was discovered by the authorities to be an illegal immigrant. And they won. They had married and she got a job as a housekeeper. A husband, three kids and a good job, what more could anyone want? Rosa knew that coming from having nothing, to having what she possessed now, was good enough for her and more then she could ever had dreamed of.  
  
Her husband had recently gotten promoted and asked her if she wanted to stop working, because he could earn enough to support them all by himself. But she refused. She loved her job. At the moment she worked for a couple, who she considered to be the best employers in the world. They were a young couple, Mr and Mrs Sinclair, but perfect in everyway. They were so understanding. Take today for example. Her eldest son had tryouts for his school basketball team and she had been invited to watch, which meant that she would be late to work. She'd asked her employers and without a moment's hesitation, they had agreed. She knew that they wanted kids and Jennifer Sinclair saw her family as if they were her own. Rosa couldn't wait to tell her that her son had made it onto the team.  
  
She completed the walk to the large house. They had arranged a car for her, but she told them that she didn't mind the bus ride and the walk. She punched in the security code on the number pad, by the gate, and heard the whir and the beep as it accepted her code. She gently pushed the black iron gate open and walked towards the house. Then she hit a different code into the pad by the gate leading to the back garden. She was quite surprised that she wasn't run at or barked at by Indie, their black Labrador. Indie would never hurt her, because he knew her, but he barked like hell at everyone.  
  
'Maybe he's asleep?' Rosa considered.  
  
Shrugging it off, she opened the back door and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Hello?" She called, her voice still tinted with the accent of her native country, "Mr Sinclair? Mrs Sinclair? It's just me, Rosa."  
  
There was no reply. She looked at the clock on the cooker. It flashed 12.18. Ethan Sinclair would still be at work at his father's casino. Jennifer Sinclair would be at university, studding to get the degree she was determined to have. Marrying into the Sinclair family meant that Jenny wouldn't have to work if she didn't want to, but she was determined to all the same.  
  
Rosa patted her curly hair absent-mindedly, collected up the letters that sat on the sideboard and carried them to the study.  
  
The study was a smallish, cosy room and was done in a Victorian style. She was only at the foot of the door, when she stopped dead and the letters slid out of her hand, cascading onto the floor. It was at that moment that she saw the lifeless body lying there with a glass resting next to it, as if it had dropped from the hand. She ran over and felt for a pulse. Nothing.  
  
She searched in a panic around the room, her eyes misted over with tears, her head screaming that this wasn't happening. Then she saw the letter. The one addressed to all of his loved ones. The one full of his apologises. The one which said all of his final goodbyes.  
  
A/N: What do you think? Should I carry on or give up and stay with writing Alias f/fs? Please hit that button now and tell me what you think. You know you want to. 


	2. Nothing Here

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Wow! Thanks so much for the reviews. A Bloom, Sara Sidle Stokes, Melindotty, The Madhatter, MissyJane, me and Pagan, you guys rock! Sorry about any mistakes in this chapter. I don't have a degree in forensics and I haven't been to Las Vegas. I have tried to find out as much as possible over the internet and from books. I also don't know what degrees you can study over there or the lengths, so sorry if I've got them wrong. Oh, this might sound a bit stupid, but does anyone know how to get italics and bold to work on this? Well R&R and enjoy - Bex  
  
The sun still shone as Gil Grissom removed his sunglasses, as he stepped into the house. All ready prepared with his latex gloves he walked down the corridor to the crime scene. As he approached the study, he could hear the faint clicking of a camera. He stood in the doorframe and watched as Sara took the last pictures of the body and the glass lying next to it. Sensing his presences, she looked up and gave him a warm smile.  
  
"I'm almost done here. They can remove the body in a moment," Sara pause. "Tell me again Gris why I got drag out of bed to a crime scene that should belong to the dayshift?"  
  
"Because, my dear Miss Sidle, the Sinclairs have a lot of power and they want their son's death investigated thoroughly. So that means they want the best. And we are the best," He dragged at the last few words to emphasise his point.  
  
"Bet Ecklie isn't happy to hear that," She smiled.  
  
Grissom smiled slightly back at her in response. It was true, Ecklie was fuming when he found out and despised Grissom even more for it.  
  
'It's so hard being at the top,' He thought happily to himself.  
  
He walked into the room. Slowly and carefully he circled the body, taking in the first details. In front of him was the body of Ethan Sinclair. He was a Caucasian male, around 6 foot and well built. His hair was a sandy blond, which was in a smart, trim cut. Grissom couldn't tell what his eyes colour was, because his eyes lids were shut, but from a photo he saw in the room, they were a mix of blue and green. He also knew that most women would consider him to be very good looking.  
  
He stared at the photo for a couple of minutes. It was from Ethan's wedding day. Him and his wife stood there wrapped in each other's arms. He was dressed in a traditional tux. Jennifer Sinclair was wearing a delicate, white lace dress. She had mahogany coloured hair, which looked quite red in some lights and emerald eyes. She was undeniably beautiful. They held each other tightly, hopelessly in love. Their hands entwined so much that it muddled up their new wedding rings. They looked so happy. They looked life a perfect couple.  
  
'But looks can be deceptive,' Grissom though gravely.  
  
He was too lost in his own thoughts to realise that Sara had finished. She crossed the room and stood just outside the door.  
  
"I'm done. You can removed the body now," She called down the hall.  
  
Two men entered, they placed Ethan Sinclair into a body bag, and then lifted him onto a stretcher, before carrying him out. Grissom watched them briefly then turned his attention to something else, the suicide letter. He read it once and then reread it.  
  
"What is it about this letter that has the maid so convinced it's a fake?" Grissom asked Sara and no one in particular at the same time.  
  
"Well if you compare it to one of those documents on the desk, you can see that they don't quite match. They're similar, but not written by the same person."  
  
Sara handed him one of the documents off the desk so he could compare the signatures. Grissom studied them both carefully. The one on the document flowed perfectly, where as the letter was more jerky and unsure. A sort of stop and start effect. Also Ethan Sinclair's 'S's seemed to have a natural swirl to them, but the one on the letter seemed forced. It was a very good forgery, but not perfect. Not foolproof. Grissom looked up at Sara.  
  
"So if a letter by a body is trying to convince us it's suicide, turns out to be a fake..."  
  
"It looks like it was probably murder," Sara finished.  
  
Grissom smiled; "Exactly. I think we should get a document expert in to see if they can find anything else about this, which might help us catch out our killer," He mused as he bagged the letter and a document to compare the handwriting with.  
  
"I've already done it. They're going to be arriving at HQ around 2.15," Sara replied.  
  
'Two steps ahead as usual,' Grissom thought proudly.  
  
"You took a swab of the liquid inside the glass?'  
  
"Yep and checked it for finger prints. No clear ones, most of them are smeared."  
  
'Damn,' Grissom swore silently.  
  
"Do you know what was in the glass?"  
  
"It smelt like bourbon, so I took a sample of the open bottle from the liquor cabinet to compare," Sara informed, pointing at the cabinet.  
  
Grissom nodded.  
  
"Well if you bag it, we'll see if our murderer was kind enough to leave us a clue to their identity," Grissom suggested as he took out his ALS.  
  
Sara bagged the evidence and did the same. They started from opposite ends of the room and slowly walked the grid, shinning the blue light at the floor, as they searched for footprints.  
  
"Errr!" Sara moaned in frustration, "The only prints here belong to the maid. The only other thing I found was brush strokes."  
  
"Which means Mr Sinclair either kindly swept up after dying or the killer's covering their tracks," Gris concluded.  
  
"I'm going with option number two," a voice piped in from the door.  
  
He turned to face the door, though he already knew whom it was. Standing there in a red shirt, top buttons undone, and black slacks, blue eyes twinkling with thought and a pair of shades perched on top of her blond hair, was Catherine Willows. She smiled at Sara in greeting and flashed an even more brilliant one at Grissom.  
  
'How is it that every time I see her, she seems to look even more incredible then the last?' Grissom wondered, but quickly pushed those thoughts aside.  
  
"Hey, sorry I interrupted your day with Lindsey, but..." Grissom started to apologise, but Catherine cut him off.  
  
"It's no biggy. She met up with a friend and is going to sleep over her house," Catherine shrugged it off. "You know Lindsey, the social butterfly."  
  
They caught each other's gaze, their eyes locking into place. Grissom could tell she was upset. She didn't spend as much time with her daughter as she would like to and he felt guilty for it.  
  
Sara looked from one to the other. They were rapped up with staring at each other, that they had forgotten she was there. She cleared her throat to remind them.  
  
"Sara would you take the evidence we've bagged to be transported with the body. Oh and give Greg a ring to warn him it's coming. Make sure you stress that it's his priority. I want to know what's in the glass," Grissom instructed.  
  
"Sure thing boss," Sara replied dryly.  
  
She collected the bagged evidence and left the room. Not once while Grissom was speaking to her did he look at her. Not once did he break his eye contact with Catherine. She sighed. She doubted that they had realised that she'd left.  
  
'They've got it bad for each other. Everyone else can see it, so why can't they?" She mused as she walked outside.  
  
After a few moments, Grissom reluctantly broke eye.  
  
"Found anything?" Cath asked.  
  
"No. The murderer's been covering their tracks," He paused. "What can you tell me about our victim?"  
  
He nodded at the documents in Catherine's hand.  
  
"Ethan Sinclair was 28. Parents were Robert Sinclair owner of Oasis Casino and Hotel, and Paula Sinclair, maiden name Geller. Mother is deceased. He worked for his father, though own a few properties of his own. Recently brought an apartment block. Has one sibling, a brother, Julian Sinclair. Ethan married Jennifer Stone about 4 years ago. Wasn't approved of by his family. One of his best friends, Melissa Lukas, died of an heroin O.D seven months ago," Catherine answered half by memory and half by reading.  
  
"The one mentioned in the 'suicide letter'? The person who it said he couldn't live with out?"  
  
Cath nodded.  
  
"But he showed no signs of depression or of being suicidal."  
  
"Humm.... Tell me about the father."  
  
"Robert Sinclair is 57. He's a very rich and powerful man, as I'm sure you know. Remarried to a woman called Tiffany Olsen, 21 years his junior. She strongly disapproved of Ethan marrying Ms Stone, because of she came from a poor background. Warrick and Nick are talking to them now."  
  
She paused and waited for Grissom to tell her who he wanted to hear about next. But he didn't make a sound. He was too busy looking around at the crime scene, completely absorbed in his own thoughts. Catherine decided to move on and choose the next person herself.  
  
"Julian Sinclair is 30. Also works for their father. He's not married..."  
  
"Tell me about the wife, Jenny," He cut her off.  
  
Catherine raised an eyebrow at the fact that he had used Jenny instead of Mrs Sinclair or Jennifer Sinclair or Jennifer for that matter. But Grissom didn't notice this look.  
  
"Jennifer Sinclair, maiden name Stone. She's 25. She's got a degree in Basic Psychology and, get this, is studying Forensic Science at UNVL. Almost completed her degree as well. Her father was Mathew Stone, an English professor. He was murdered when she was 12, street mugging, perp never found," She read off the file, "Mother is Rachel Farrell, shop assistant, estranged from her daughter. Jennifer met Ethan when she was 19 and they got married a while after she turned 21."  
  
Catherine noticed that Grissom was staring at the picture of the couple. More importantly his eyes were fixed on Jennifer.  
  
"Forensics eh..." Grissom muttered to himself, "Anybody been able to contact her?"  
  
Catherine shook her head, "Nope. We couldn't find out where she is from the maid, Rosa Walker, because she's too hysterical to speak. But we think that she might have had a class this morning. Gris?"  
  
"Yeah?" He answered, eyes not leaving the photo.  
  
She was thinking about approaching this carefully, but the words just blurted out; "Why are you so interested in her?"  
  
His head snapped around to face her, his eyes locking once more into her steady gaze. He thought about denying it, but he knew she would be able tell that he was lying. Sometimes he hated how she could read him like an open book.  
  
"It's nothing...it's just..." He started and sighed, "It's just that she seems familiar that's all," He shrugged, "Maybe it'll come to me."  
  
"Good news guys," Sara announced as she re-entered the room, "Evidence is on its way back to the labs and I've talked to Greg, but that's not it. The good news is that Rosa Walker has calmed down, so we might be able to talk to her."  
  
"Good," Cath commented.  
  
Gris only raised an eyebrow. He didn't trust witnesses, only the evidence. Though he did wonder if Mrs Walker could give them any ideas about what happened.  
  
"Still haven't been able to contact the wife?" He asked.  
  
Sara shook her head. Gris sighed slightly and turned to Catherine.  
  
"Any other bits of information you know that might be important?"  
  
"Not really. But you might be interested to know that unofficially the wife is being taught and is a sort of protégé of Brit Warner."  
  
"Brit Warner?" Gris repeated surprised.  
  
"Who's Brit Warner?" Sara asked.  
  
"Brit Warner is a retired criminologist. The best Las Vegas policing have known. Probably one of the best in the country," Gris filled her in.  
  
"What does he do now?" Sara inquired.  
  
"Stays at home as far as I know. He retired, because he got a bullet in his leg which left him crippled. Also he was going to quit anyway, after his wife and daughter were kidnapped and then murdered," Catherine answered this time.  
  
"Poor guy. You worked with him?"  
  
Both of the CSIs nodded. Grissom saw Catherine looking suspiciously around the room. He could hear the clogs turning as she was piecing something together. He realised what after a few moments.  
  
"You think the wife did it."  
  
It was more of a statement then a question. Catherine looked up in surprise, but nodded.  
  
"She seems like a likely suspect. She has access to get in here and she knows how forensics works. So far our killer's been doing a good job covering their tracks."  
  
"True," He agreed, "But you can learn how to cover basic forensics from book or T.V. What do you think Sara?"  
  
Both sets of eyes were fixed on her now as they waited for an answer.  
  
'As usual, when mum and dad can't agree they stick the child in the middle,' She though grimly.  
  
"I agree with Cath," She answered carefully, "The wife does seem the most likely suspect at the moment."  
  
Catherine smiled triumphantly, but Grissom didn't notice. He was distracted by something on the desk. He walked over and pointed at the answering machine.  
  
"There're two unheard messages here," He informed the others, "I think we should find out what they say, maybe they'll give us some clues."  
  
He pressed the button and Ethan Sinclair's voice filled the room; "Hi, you've reached the home of Ethan and Jenny Sinclair. We're unable to get to the phone right now, but if you just leave a message after the tone we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks. 'BEEEP!'"  
  
The first message was left by a man, who's voice was slightly raspy from years of smoking; "Hello Ethan. It's your father here. Where are you son? It's 11.30, you were meant to be here an hour ago. This isn't like you. If you're sick just give me a buzz. Call me son. Bye."  
  
'BEEEP!'  
  
"Hey Ethan," A female voice, smooth and gentle, now filled the quite room, "I'm on my mobile and my battery is almost out. I'm guessing Rosa isn't here yet. First class was a bitch, but I'll tell you more when I get back. I'm going to be doing some work and studying in the library before my next class at 2. I'll try and be home in between 1.30 and 2. Oh and I'm meant to be seeing Brit later as well. I've got to go. Sorry. I love you Ethan and I'll be seeing you soon."  
  
'Except you won't," Gris thought, 'You'll be seeing us.'  
  
A/N: What do you think? Feedback is much appreciated, so hit that button now! Lol! 


	3. It's All About The Money

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hi again. Thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter; Emily, MissyJane, Pagan, The Madhatter, loco, pdhtgal, AetherIris, Moose, csiAngel and Juliet. Please keep them coming in, they help so much. This chapter is a little shorter then the last. I wrote it last night, but decided to post it up this morning because A) I'm up early for once before travelling to the hell hole known as school and B) It's the last day of term before the Easter Holidays, so I wanted to spread my good mood around. There is some mild bad language in this chapter, but it is PG-13 for a reason. Anyway, enough of my waffling. R&R and ENJOY!!- Bex  
  
The Oasis casino was big, glitzy and typically Las Vegas. It was one of the most popular and successful casinos in the city. When Nick and Warrick entered they were greeted by the expensive looking interior, rows and rows of different ways for people to loose their money, and hundreds of people buzzing about, empting their wallets.  
  
Nick watched Warrick stare at the slot machines. He could tell his addiction was still there, even if he had buried it, it was still itching to surface again. Nick tapped him on the arm causing him to look at him.  
  
"You ok man?"  
  
"I'm fine," Warrick reassured.  
  
"Yeah? We better ask one of those security guards where we can find Mr Sinclair."  
  
Warrick laughed, "How did we get landed with this job?"  
  
"You must have done something to piss off Grissom," Nick suggest with mock seriousness.  
  
"ME! If anyone managed to piss him off it's you. You're the one who's always staring after Sara with big puppy dog eyes. He was bound to notice sooner or later," He retorted.  
  
"I do not STARE at Sara!"  
  
"Yeah what ever man. You've got it bad for her, even if you don't realise it."  
  
"Well even if I did, I can't act on it. Sara would probably break my nose and Gris would kill me," Nick stated.  
  
"You're right about Grissom killing you, but I'm not so sure that Sara would break your nose," Warrick replied causing Nick to freeze and stare at him.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" He asked confused.  
  
"We should ask that guard over there," Warrick said ignoring his question and started to walk over.  
  
"Warrick! What do you mean that you don't think she'll break my nose?" He called after him.  
  
"Come on Nicky. Time's-a-wasting."  
  
Nick sprinted slightly to catch up with him. He was about to repeat his question, but they had already reached the security guard. He was a large, bulky man with a shaven head, wearing a black suit.  
  
"We're here to see Mr Sinclair. We're CSIs from the police department," Warrick informed as they showed him their IDs.  
  
"Wait a moment," He ordered and then he spoke into his radio. "Clair, we have two CSIs down here wanting to see Mr Sinclair...uhuh....ok," He put his radio away and turned back to them, "Mr Sinclair has been expecting you. Follow me."  
  
They followed him to a locked door, which lead to a lift. They got in the lift and travelled up 2 stories. After a couple of minutes they were in a large, lounge like room, on the other side of which was a door. Lying on one of the leather couches in the room was a lady in her late 30's. She had bleached blond hair, which was short and curly, and wore an expensive white dress.  
  
"Mrs Sinclair, these two gentlemen are here to see..." the guard began, but she cut him off.  
  
"I told you that no one is meant to see him. He's very upset," She snapped. "The only people you were meant to send up here were the people from the police department."  
  
"These are the people from the police department."  
  
"Oh!"  
  
She sat up quickly, fixed her hair with her hand, smiled brightly and walked over.  
  
"Oh hi there. I'm Tiffany Sinclair," Her voice drawled, "You can go now!" She snapped quietly at the guard.  
  
"Mrs Sinclair, I'm Nick Stokes and this is Warrick Brown. We're..."  
  
"I better go and get Bob," She cut across. "You gentle men can take a seat over there."  
  
She bustled off over to the door at the other end of the room. Nick and Warrick exchanged a glance and walked over to sit down. Mrs Sinclair tapped smartly on the door and then opened it.  
  
"Bob, honey, the men are here from the police department."  
  
She walked back over followed by a much older man and a younger woman. The man had a head of fully grey hair and his face was covered with wrinkles. He had dark blue eyes, which seemed to be fixed in a permanent frown. The younger woman had short dark hair and was dressed in a blue business suit. She was probably Mr Sinclair sectary.  
  
"Clair would fetch us some drinks," Tiffany ordered. "Sure," the young woman answered with false pleasantness, "Mr Sinclair?"  
  
"Whiskey," He replied in a raspy voice.  
  
She turned to Nick and Warrick.  
  
"I'm fine thanks," They replied one after the other.  
  
Then she turned to Mrs Sinclair.  
  
"I want an ice tea. Make sure it has the right amount of ice in it this time."  
  
"Sure," She replied in a sickly-sweet tone.  
  
She plastered on a false smile, but Nick could tell what she was thinking; Bitch. She made the drink at the bar in the room and handed them out, then looked expectantly at Mr Sinclair.  
  
"You can go now Clair. I'll call you if I need you," He dismissed her.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Mr Sinclair took a long sip of his drink as he waited for her to leave. He then turned his hard eyes at the two CSIs.  
  
"You any closer to finding out what happened to my son?" He demanded.  
  
"We're still trying to establish what happened. It would help a lot if you can answer a few questions," Warrick replied.  
  
"Well I can tell you one thing for sure, it wasn't suicide."  
  
"We're trying to confirm that," Nick answered carefully. Mr Sinclair snorted slightly and took another good, long sip of his whiskey.  
  
"What can you tell me about Melissa Lukas and her relationship with your son?" Warrick asked.  
  
Mr Sinclair took in a deep, shaky breath.  
  
"She grew up with Ethan. They were best friends for years. They were like brother and sister really. She developed a heroin problem though. Broke Ethan's heart to see her like that. Then around seven months ago, she O.D and was found by her boyfriend, dead in her apartment," He answered whirly. "But he wasn't depressed or turned suicidal by it. He was upset, hell who wouldn't be, but he was just grieving. He had started to move on."  
  
"If anyone killed Ethan it was his wife, Jennifer," Mrs Sinclair snapped.  
  
"Tiffany," Mr Sinclair warned, but it fell on deaf ears.  
  
"Oh come one Bob. We all knew that was a gold digger. She only married him for his money, when really she's nothing more then a cheap whore."  
  
"Tiffany!" He snapped again.  
  
The two CSIs exchanged looks, but said nothing.  
  
"Bob, there's a reason she's childless. And she's probably the cause of that fall out between Julian and Ethan. I said that she was trouble."  
  
Now Warrick cut in; "Ethan and Julian were fighting?"  
  
Mr Sinclair nodded slightly.  
  
"Yes, but neither of them would tell us what over."  
  
"Bet they were covering up for her," Mrs Sinclair accused again dramatically.  
  
Mr Sinclair looked as if he was about to say something, but he was cut off by a voice at the door.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
All of their heads turned round to see Clair standing in the doorway.  
  
"There's an important phone call for you on line one," She stated.  
  
"Can it wait?"  
  
"No sir. Sorry."  
  
He looked at the two CSIs as if he was asking them if he could leave.  
  
"We might be back to ask further questions if it's needed," Nick informed.  
  
He nodded; "Of course. Just make sure you catch the bastard who did this. I want to make sure they pay."  
  
He got up and crossed the room back into his office, closely followed by Clair. When they were out of earshot, Tiffany Sinclair cleared her throat slightly.  
  
"I don't care what my husband thinks, I know it was Jennifer," She declared.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Nick questioned her.  
  
She gave them an annoyed look that said 'haven't you been listening?'.  
  
"Like I said, she's a gold digger. I think she was a hooker or a stripper or something like that before she met Ethan," She spat. "He probably caught her having an affair with her old pimp or something."  
  
She paused for a moment and sipped her ice tea.  
  
"Anyway, the girl was getting a degree in Forensic Science. She wanted to be a Crime Scene Investigator I think. Crime Scene Investigator!" She exclaimed, "What kind of a job is that?"  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Once they had left the room and were travelling back down the lift, Nick finally spoke to Warrick.  
  
"Tell me Warrick, what sort of a job is a Crime Scene Investigator anyway?"  
  
"A decent job which doesn't involve leaching off your husband," He replied pulling out his mobile, as they wondered back to the exit of the casino.  
  
He dialled Grissom's number and after a couple of rings he answered.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hey Gris, it's me."  
  
"Warrick how did it go? What were you able to find out?"  
  
"Mr Sinclair definitely thinks it wasn't suicide. He said his son was very upset over Miss Lukas death, but not depressed or suicidal. But you might be interested to know that Ethan and his brother, Julian, had fallen out."  
  
"Over what?"  
  
"Nobody else seems to know."  
  
"Um...What did Mrs Sinclair have to say?"  
  
"Oh well I can tell you that Cath would love her," He answered sarcastically. "She definitely doesn't like Ethan's wife, and believes that she probably murdered him. She called Jenny Sinclair a gold digger."  
  
"A woman who's 21 years younger then her husband actually called someone else a gold digger!"  
  
"Yep. Gris what did Jennifer Sinclair used to do before she met Ethan Sinclair?"  
  
"Hold on I'll check."  
  
Warrick could hear Grissom talking to another person on the other end. After a couple of minutes he returned.  
  
"I'm back. She was a waitress."  
  
Warrick relayed the information onto Nick, who raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Stripper. Waitress. I bet that mistake happens all the time," He quipped drolly.  
  
"What do you want us to do now?" Warrick asked Gris.  
  
"I want the pair of you to come down to the crime."  
  
"Alright. We'll be there in a bit." He hung up and turned to Nick, who had wondered off into a daydream.  
  
"We're going to the crime scene."  
  
"Oh?" Nick replied vaguely.  
  
"Cheer up Nicky. You'll be able to stare after Sara again soon enough," Warrick teased.  
  
"Yeah..." then it dawned on him what Warrick had just said. "HEY!"  
  
But by that time Warrick had already reached the safety of the Tahoe.  
  
A/N: What do you think? Please review and tell me. Thanks :o) 


	4. Shaken Worlds

Disclaimer: No, sadly I don't own this. So please don't sue. But do be kind and Review.  
  
A/N: God bless school holidays. Thanks for all of the reviews; jhfortier, The Madhatter, MissyJane, Nickluver, Moose and AetherIris. Please keep them coming. They inspire me to write quicker. Any who, here's the next chapter. As usual, R&R and Enjoy!! - Bex  
  
Grissom chose to stay standing with Sara and Brass whilst they interviewed Rosa Walker. She sat on the back of a van near the end of the driveway, shoulders covered with a rug and her skin sickly-pale under her natural tan. Her cheeks were stained with tears, eyes all blood shot and hand shaking. She had tried to calm them by entwining her fingers together, but they continued to shake violently. Catherine sat next to her with an arm rapped around her in support and to give some comfort.  
  
"Mrs Walker," Brass began gently, "We need you to answer a few questions. It would be very helpful if you can answer them. Do you think you can do that?"  
  
She nodded weakly.  
  
"What happened to Indie?" She asked weakly.  
  
Gris looked at Sara, slightly confused by the question.  
  
"The dog," Sara whispered back.  
  
"He's going to be fine. Someone just gave him a dose of anaesthetic, put him to sleep for a bit. He's at a vet now recovering," Brass replied in the same tone he'd used before.  
  
She nodded again and tightened her grip, as she uselessly tried to force her hand to be still.  
  
"Around what time did you arrive here?" Brass asked in the same tone.  
  
"I don't know... 12...No! No! It was 12.18. I remember looking at the clock."  
  
"Did you notice anything unusual?"  
  
"No, nothing. Apart from Indie not barking his head off, everything was fine. Everything was normal. Perfectly normal. Why would anyone do this?" She demanded as she began to break down again. "Why would anyone want to do this to Mr Sinclair? Why? He was such a good man. So good and kind. Why? Why?"  
  
Her tears had gotten the better of her again and she buried her face in her shaking hands. Her breathing was shaky and heavy. Catherine hugged the sobbing woman tighter with her arm.  
  
"It's ok. You're doing really well. It's ok. It's ok," She soothed almost as if she was comforting Lindsey after a nightmare.  
  
Rosa Walker sniffed loudly and wiped her face with her hands.  
  
"Sorry," She apologised.  
  
"Don't be. You're doing great. It's ok. Just take your time."  
  
Mrs Walker offered a tiny smile at Catherine gratefully and brushed away a few more tears.  
  
"You ok now Mrs Walker?" Brass asked gently.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"You sure?"  
  
She nodded again with a bit more strength this time.  
  
"Ok. What can you tell us about Mr Sinclair relationship with his wife?"  
  
"They were happy. Such a lovely couple," She replied in a small voice.  
  
"Did they fight?"  
  
"A bit. Not any more then your average couple. They made up quickly."  
  
"Had Mr Sinclair fallen out with anyone recently? Or had a bad relationship with anyone?"  
  
"No," She replied instantly, then paused. "Actually, yes. Yes he had a few people didn't like him. Mainly because they were jealous of his success. Oh and he had fallen out with his brother."  
  
Grissom looked at Cath. She stared back at him with the same look. The maid had just repeated what Warrick and Nick had found out.  
  
"Do you know what about?" Cath asked the question this time.  
  
She shook her head; "No. It was none of my business, so I didn't ask. Mrs Sinclair always seemed uneasy around Mr Sinclair's brother. Don't blame her. Nasty piece of work, Julian Sinclair," She muttered bitterly. "Nothing like his brother. Looked down on everyone he met. Didn't want them to get married in the first place."  
  
The last remarks shocked the CSIs a bit. Grissom began to get lost deeper in his thoughts. He wondered what the two brothers had fallen out over. He wondered if Jenny Sinclair would know. The beginning of Brass' next question made him tune back in.  
  
"Do you know who has access to the house? Who know the codes? Has a key?"  
  
"Mr and Mrs Sinclair of course. I think his father as well. Umm...Julian maybe," She shook her head, "I'm not sure, sorry."  
  
Sara sighed. This was not going to be easy without talking to the wife. They needed information that Sara was sure that she would know. But where is she?  
  
"Do you know where Mrs Sinclair is?" She decided to ask.  
  
"Um...It's Thursday right? Course it's Thursday, my son had tryouts. Umm...she usually has breakfast with her best friend at the University on a Thursday, before her first class."  
  
"What time is her first class?" Brass has taken over the questioning again.  
  
"Around...around 10.30, I think."  
  
"And what's her best friend's name?"  
  
"I think it's Estella Dickens."  
  
She then looked up suddenly as if something had dawned on her. She stared at each of the faces in front of her carefully, her own a mask with a bit of panic.  
  
"You've...you've..." She swallowed hard. "You have been able to find her? Right? She does know right? Right?"  
  
They said nothing. Rosa Walker began to look more and more worried.  
  
"Oh my...Oh my god.....Mierda! She's...Mierda!" Rosa swore in Spanish.  
  
Her muttering was cut off by the sight of an expensive silver car, which had just pulled up at the end of the driveway. The driver door opened and out got a young woman with long, loose mahogany hair. She was dressed in black slacks with a powder blue shirt, which only had a few buttons done up, revealing the white tank top underneath. She removed her sunglasses and took in her surroundings with her own eyes. She stared at the police cars, the people and the yellow crime scene tap which surrounded the house. She looked hauntingly pale.  
  
"What....what's going on here?" She demanded, trying her best to keep her fear from showing in her voice.  
  
She then noticed the van where the CSIs were with Brass and Rosa Walker. She fixed her panicked eyes on Rosa as she began to walk closer.  
  
"Rosa? Rosa what's going on?"  
  
She didn't like the look on her face. She didn't like the look on the strangers' faces either. It was the same look that she remembered everyone wearing when they told her that her father had died. And it worried her. It petrified her.  
  
"Rosa?" She repeated more urgently, her vision beginning to be blurred with tears. "Rosa? What's going on? Where's...Where's Ethan? Rosa?"  
  
"Oh Mrs Sinclair," Rosa sobbed, "He's...He's...I'm so so sorry."  
  
Jenny Sinclair stopped dead, staring straight at Rosa, as if her words hadn't yet reached her.  
  
"No," She whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "No," She repeated as the first tear slid down her face. "NO!"  
  
The last word had come out as no more than a whisper, but the silence had turned them into a scream. Jenny Sinclair fell to the ground along with her tears. She buried her head in her hands. Her uncontrollable sobs muffled her words, but Grissom could hear them as clearly as if she'd been standing right next to him.  
  
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no....  
  
A/N: What do you think? Go on, give into temptation and hit that little blue button :o) 


	5. Dreamless Sleep

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hey. Was meaning to update this sooner, but I've been busy. So in exchange I've written quite a long chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter; MissyJane, Moose, d-kronk and Chosen Rogue. Please keep them coming. All the medical stuff in this was from me asking my mum. There is a use for having parents who are doctors! Well R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
Grissom stared through the one-way mirror at the woman who sat in the room behind it. Her eyes were blotchy and filled with unshed tears. Her once perfect mascara had run down her cheeks. She was so different from the happy person in the photo, but yet she was some how still as beautiful. And finally it had dawn on him. Grissom now knew why Jenny Sinclair seemed so familiar.  
  
Three months ago, he gave a talk to a class of students who were studying forensic science. He agreed to do it as a favour to his friend Professor Edmund Rebus. He remembered as he was talking, he scanned the class, studying the students in front of him. And that was when he saw her. She sat near the front, watching him intensely. She jotted down notes now and again, but Gris got the feeling that she was taking in everything he was saying. The rest of the class was listening, but she was actually hearing his words. He remembered that at the end of the class, Ed had come up to him and pointed her out.  
  
"That's Jenny Sinclair, a very gifted young woman. Top of her class. She's got a lot of talent and potential. She wants to become a CSI. I can tell you now that she'd make a great one."  
  
Grissom thought about how she looked at him in the same way as he interviewed her. Every so often she looked up at him with her watery eyes and studied him. He realised now that she was analysing him, the same way he was analysing her. After he had finished asking all the questions he thought he could get away without her lawyer being there, she spoke softly; "You gave the lecture at the Uni a few months ago. It was good."  
  
He had already tried to confirm her alibi, but he'd had no luck so far. She claimed to be with her best friend till 10.15, then went to her class at 10.30 till 11.30, and then she went to the library. According to Doctor Al Robbins, Mr Sinclair's time of death was around 10.30. Something had knock Ethan Sinclair unconscious then it caused his heart to stop beating. But what? They had sent off a sample of his blood to see what they could find. But Grissom already had a hunch; Poison.  
  
Now they just needed to wait for her lawyer to arrive. He walked down the corridor and into the lab, where Greg sat staring into a microscope. Grissom managed to stand right behind him without him realising that someone else was in the room.  
  
"Greg?"  
  
Greg spun round so quickly that he almost fell off his stall. He grabbed hold of the desk to stop himself and glared at Grissom.  
  
"Would you please not do that!" He demanded.  
  
Gris shrugged slightly in reply and pointed at the microscope.  
  
"Found anything?"  
  
"Before I almost died of a heart attack, yes. Take a look."  
  
He moved to one side so Grissom could sit down. Grissom stared into the microscope at the slide. It was a brown liquid with small specs of a white powder in it.  
  
"This is the liquid Sara took from the glass. She was right, it is bourbon. But I'm not sure what the powder is. I thinking ground-up medication," Greg informed, "But if you compare it to the liquid in the open bottle," Greg pointed to the microscope next to it and Gris looked into it, "There is no white powder..."  
  
"Which means either someone's removed the bottle containing the mix or it's hidden somewhere at the crime scene. But indicates that our killer was probably with our vic when he died or came by afterwards," Gris finished for him.  
  
Grissom grabbed the phone in the lab and dialled the familiar number. After a couple of rings, the person on the other end picked up.  
  
"Willows."  
  
"Hey Cath, it's Gris. How's it going?"  
  
She sighed, "We realised that the Sinclairs had two CCTV cameras on the outside of the house. But unfortunately, both of the tape had been removed. And guess what?"  
  
"The perp wore gloves?" He guessed.  
  
"10 out of 10," Catherine quipped dryly.  
  
"Have you interviewed the neighbours?"  
  
"Put Nick and Warrick on it when they arrived," She chuckled slightly, "They were sooo thrilled!"  
  
A half smile touched Grissom lips. He could just picture Catherine's trade mark smile appear on her face as she made that sarcastic comment. Her lips... Grissom pushed those thoughts away, as he remembered why he was calling in the first place.  
  
"Cath, Greg thinks that it was powdered medication mixed with the alcohol that killed Mr Sinclair. The autopsy agrees with this so far. I want you to look for any medication which might have done this. Heavy-duty stuff, such as painkillers and sleeping tablets. Ok? Also the sample from the glass doesn't match the sample from the open bottle, so there's a chance the bottle originally containing the mix may still be on the property."  
  
"Ok Gil. We'll get looking. I'll call when we find something."  
  
She hung up. He sat down and stared at the files he had brought in with him. Something was troubling him. A gut feeling told him that he was over looking something. But what? Finally it clicked.  
  
"Why would a man be having a drink at 10.30 in the morning before work?" He thought aloud.  
  
"Maybe he was an alcoholic?" Greg suggested.  
  
Grissom scanned the autopsy report again and shook his head.  
  
"Autopsy shows some lung damage caused by smoking, but no signs of alcohol abuse."  
  
"Maybe he was just thirsty?" Greg suggested again.  
  
Grissom gave him a look and Greg quickly looked away, as he pretended to do something more important. Gris was still thinking his question over when Brass walked in.  
  
"A couple of officers just got back from the university. We've got this morning's tape from the CCTV camera in the café," He announced waving the tape slightly. "Also they got a profile for Estella Dickens and talked to the librarian who confirmed that she saw Mrs Sinclair in there around 11.40."  
  
Grissom took Estella Dickens' file and read it quickly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.  
  
"Miss Dickens is a deaf-mute."  
  
Brass nodded, "She's a big campaigner for deaf rights. You know, goes on protests, lobbies cinemas to show more films with subtitles, things like that."  
  
"Deaf with attitude. And soon to be an English Lit graduate as well," Gris commented. "This could be useful. I might be able to tell what they're talking about. Miss Dickens' can only speak using sign language, so I'm presuming, that as her best friend, Mrs Sinclair can to."  
  
Brass pushed the tape into the machine and hit play. The café appeared on the screen in black and white, with the time showing in the left corner. Brass began to fast-forward the tape.  
  
"Stop!" Grissom suddenly commanded.  
  
Brass paused the tape. Gris had automatically recognised Jenny Sinclair carrying a tray to a table near the camera. Next to her was a pretty blond girl with long hair, which curled slightly at the end. It was the same girl in the picture attached to the file. Estella Dickens was dressed in a long denim skirt and a light tank top. Grissom grabbed a pen and pad of paper, then nodded at Brass to start the tape again. He watched their hands and wrote down the conversation they were signing. When they had walked off out of view, Brass stopped the tape and Gris handed him the pad:  
  
Estella Dickens: On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad was the fight?  
  
Jennifer Sinclair: Round 3 or 4. It wasn't that bad.  
  
E.D: Really? What was it about?  
  
J.S: The usual (sighs) Ethan wants to seize the moment but...  
  
E.D: You are not ready.  
  
J.S: Exactly. I know he understands but I feel like I'm under more pressure. Ok so you have heard about my love life, what is happening in yours?  
  
E.D: Nothing really. I'm going to see him today though.  
  
J.S: Ah yes. The mysterious lover I know nothing about. Which is unfair seeing as you have met and know the name of my guy.  
  
E.D: That's because you have been married to him for, how long now?"  
  
J.S: Four years in a month's time. So what you are trying to say is I won't met him till you two get married?  
  
E.D: No. You'll meet him when the time is right that's all.  
  
J.S: You said he's older right?  
  
E.D: Not by too much.  
  
J.S: How much is not too much?  
  
E.D: God, you are going to make such a good investigator you know.  
  
J.S: Practice makes perfect. I'm finished, you?  
  
E.D: Yeah.  
  
End Of Conversation  
  
"Umm," Brass muttered after he had finished reading, "So she was definitely in the café till around 10.11." He pointed the left hand corner of the screen. "And we know that Mrs Sinclair had a fight with her husband prior to his death," Grissom pointed out.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How long does it take to drive from the Sinclairs' house to the University?"  
  
"Around 10 minutes give and take."  
  
"So there was no chance that Jenny Sinclair could travel home after her class which finished at 11.30, and be in the library at 11.40," Grissom stated.  
  
"Unless she left her lesson early," Brass added.  
  
"Yes or if she went before she would be late. Either way we need to talk to her professor, Edmund Rebus. Can you get someone to try and find him again. Also can you try and find Miss Dickens, I want to talk to her."  
  
"Sure," Brass replied as he left.  
  
Grissom sat down and re-read the conversation. There was definitely another clue here. He had some of the pieces of the puzzle, all he had to do now was to find the rest and put them together. He wondered how the others were getting on....  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Warrick and Nick were anything but happy. At the moment they were pushing their way through a crowd of bystanders and reporters who had assembled at the end of the driveway. Warrick had lost count of how many times he repeated 'no comment' or 'we can not confirm that or release any information at this point in time', as he battled his way towards the yellow tape. Finally they reached it, slipped under it and walked up to the house.  
  
"God, the press are really just vultures," Nick muttered angrily.  
  
Warrick simply nodded in reply. They entered the house and walked into the corridor.  
  
"Catherine? Sara?" Warrick called.  
  
"We're up here," replied a voice from upstairs.  
  
The two CSIs climbed up the stairs and found their colleges in the master bedroom. Sara looked up and smiled at them, her smile widening slightly on seeing Nick.  
  
"Hey," She greeted.  
  
"Hey."  
  
It took all of Warrick's will power not to roll his eyes when he saw that Nick was smiling in the exact same way back at Sara. Catherine stood up from where she was kneeling to inspect something and smiled at them both.  
  
"Hey, what did you manage to find out?"  
  
"None of the other residences noticed anything. Most of them were out at the time," Nick replied grimly.  
  
"I feel sorry for Jenny Sinclair though," Warrick added.  
  
"Oh," Cath said giving him a look.  
  
"Yeah. Just about everyone we talk to were hypocritical and said that she only married Ethan Sinclair for his money. And all of the talked about her as if she was a speck of dirt on their Gucci dress."  
  
"Don't start feeling too sorry for her Warrick. She's still a suspect," Cath reminded.  
  
"Yeah, I know," He rubbed his hands together, "So what are we looking for?"  
  
"Greg thinks it was ground medication mixed with the bourbon that killed our vic," Sara filled them in.  
  
"So we're looking for any possible medicines which could have been used," Catherine finished. "The other rooms we check we could only find things like aspirin, cough sweets and paracetamol. It takes a very high dosage of them to actually kill someone, even mixed with alcohol. We're looking for things like painkillers and sleeping tablets."  
  
"Ok," Nick replied.  
  
The two men put on their gloves and helped the women to search the room. Catherine decided to check the en-suite bathroom and Warrick went to help her. Sara and Nick continued to search the bedroom. Something on the bedside table caught Sara's eye. Nick noticed her inspecting it.  
  
"Found something?"  
  
"You've found something Sara?" Catherine asked from the bathroom.  
  
It sometimes scared Nick how good her hearing was. Sara slowly turned around so Nick could see the objects in her hands.  
  
"I just found a red rose and a note next to the bed, that's all," She informed the others.  
  
"What does the note say?" Warrick asked moving into the doorway so he could see.  
  
"Jenny, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to pressure you like that. I know that we have all the time in the world and I'm just blessed to be able to spend it with you. Please forgive me. Love always Ethan," Sara read.  
  
"Cute," Nick commented, the off Sara's look, "But you don't seem to think so."  
  
"I'm just not a romantic."  
  
She looked Nick straight in the eyes. This contact was only meant to last a couple of seconds, but it became fixed, as they got lost in each other's eyes.  
  
'But right now I wish I was,' She thought, and then quickly turned away breaking the spell, 'God that sounded corny.'  
  
She placed the rose and the note back down where she found them. All the time she was very aware that Nick was still staring at her. Or maybe she was just imagining it. All she knew was that as she turned around, he turned away very quickly.  
  
"Aha!" a triumphant cry came from the bathroom, "Guys, I think I've found something."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom was still buried in his thoughts when the phone sprang into life. He quickly picked it up, eager for any news.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hey it's me."  
  
Grissom could already tell from Catherine's voice that they had found something. He could just picture her eyes twinkling like a child's on Christmas morning. He had to suppress a chuckle before asking his next question.  
  
"What have you found?"  
  
"Most of the medication in the house was stuff like cough medicine, aspirin and foot cream. But upstairs in the bathroom connected to the master bedroom, there were a lot of boxes of sleeping tablets. There was even an empty box in the bin."  
  
"Good. Good work."  
  
"I'm sending them back with Sara. We're going to keep looking here."  
  
His heart fell slightly at these words. Apart of him selfishly wanted the luxury of seeing Cath again, but he knew that she was the only person he trusted the most to head the search of the crime scene without him.  
  
"Ok. See you soon."  
  
"Yeah, see ya."  
  
He had just hung up the phone when Brass walked in.  
  
"The lawyer's here," He announced.  
  
Gris followed him back to the interview room where they watched through the one-way mirror, as the lawyer entered. The lawyer, William Mayhew, had mousey brown hair and a baby face. He was clean-shaven, smart haircut and smart suit. Grissom recognised him from the photos in the house, as being the best man at Ethan's and Jenny's wedding.  
  
"Jenny?" He heard Will softly say as he entered the room.  
  
She turned around and stood up. Will embraced her tightly and she began to cry again slightly. Grissom watched as he rocked her slightly in comfort. After a couple of minutes she pulled away.  
  
"Sorry I dragged you away from Emily and the boys," She apologised quietly.  
  
"It's ok. They know how important this is. You know how much we loved Ethan. We're so sorry Jen. How are you holding up?"  
  
"I've been better," She replied on the verge of tears. She then composed herself, "I'm doing ok."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
She offered a weak smile that wasn't fooling anyone and sat back down. Gris decided that now was the best time to go in. Both heads turned to watch them as they entered. Mr Mayhew ushered Jenny to sit back down, shook Grissom and Brass' hands, then sat down next to her. Grissom chose to sit down opposite them, whilst Brass decided to remain standing. The lawyer slid a piece of paper across the table.  
  
"Mrs Sinclair has given me a list of all the people who have key and know the codes," He explained.  
  
Grissom scan read the list of names, then passed it to Brass.  
  
"Your name happens to be on here Mr Mayhew," Brass stated.  
  
Mr Mayhew glared slightly; "I've been with my wife and kids for the whole day Mr Brass."  
  
Grissom at this point was watching Jenny. She was looking down at the table and had her hands resting cupped together on the surface.  
  
"Mrs Sinclair," there was an edge of gentleness to Gris' voice, "Can you tell us what you did this morning?"  
  
She looked him straight in the eye. Most people who he'd interviewed always seemed to avoid doing this. They always opted to look at who ever else was in the room. But she didn't do this and he didn't know what to make of it.  
  
"Like I told you before. I got up around 9.15. I washed, got dressed and left around 9.45. Ethan was still there," Her voice wavered slightly. She swallowed before continuing, "I arrived at the university around 10. I went to the café with my best friend, Estella Dickens and I was with her until 10.15. I was in my first class from 10.30 till 11.30, then I went to the library. Then I went home."  
  
"What time did you call your husband?"  
  
"After my class."  
  
"Did you stop any where on the way home?"  
  
"At a deli to get some sandwiches for lunch," She replied, slightly frustrated at repeating her answers.  
  
"What is the point of this?" Mr Mayhew butted in. "I believe Mrs Sinclair has already answered these questions."  
  
"We're just confirming her answers," Brass replied.  
  
"Have you contacted her professor and Miss Dickens yet?"  
  
"We haven't been able to reach them yet."  
  
"Well I suggest you do that or ask my client some new questions."  
  
"Alright," Brass replied. "Mrs Sinclair, we have reason to believe that you had a fight with your husband prior to his death. Can you tell us what it was about?"  
  
She looked at Brass slightly shocked and then looked back a Grissom. Her face relaxed slightly as if she'd realised something.  
  
"It was last night. My husband wanted us to have a child after I graduated, but I wanted to work a bit before we started our family. That's all it was about."  
  
Even though Brass had asked the question, she replied to Grissom.  
  
"Do you know why your husband and his brother had fallen out?" Brass asked.  
  
"No. He didn't tell me," She replied, shifting her gaze slightly.  
  
She went back to looking down at the table. One of her thumbs was scratching her palm on the opposite hand. Grissom noticed this and so did Will Mayhew, who covered her hand with his own. This action caused her to stare at him. He gave her a look and squeezed her hand gently.  
  
"Do you know where Julian Sinclair is?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Can you tell us why there are so many sleeping tablets at your house?" Grissom asked this time.  
  
"I have a problem sleeping. Ethan did as well for a while after Melissa's death, but he'd stopped taking them."  
  
"Why do you have a sleeping problem?" Grissom questioned again.  
  
"Now Jen, you don't have to answer that...." Will began, but she cut him off.  
  
"It's ok Will."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
She nodded at him and turned back to Gris' steady gaze.  
  
"I have trouble sleeping because of a reoccurring dream I have."  
  
"What's it about?"  
  
She hesitated slightly, but carried on before her lawyer could protest again.  
  
"I've had it for ages. In it I'm 12 years old again and it's dark. I'm watching from my bedroom window for my father to come home. I see him down the street and there a man dressed in black coming up behind him. I start screaming at my dad, but he doesn't hear me, he just sees me and waves. I'm forced to watch as the man....the man stabs him. Do you know how much money was in my father's wallet when his mugger stole it?" She snapped, tears streaming down her face, "$7.50! $7.50! Was that all his life was worth? $7.50? And now I've lost Ethan...."  
  
Her voice trailed off to be replaced with tears. Will rapped his arms around her to calm her down. After a few moments she pulled away, muttering that she was ok.  
  
"We'll continue the questioning later," Brass decided and indicated for the officer standing outside to take her to a cell.  
  
William Mayhew was about to protest when Jenny stopped him.  
  
"It's ok Will. I'll see you soon."  
  
He nodded reluctantly and hugged her. She gave one last look at Grissom with her teary eyes, before she was lead away. Mr Mayhew turned to them with angry eyes.  
  
"She didn't kill him."  
  
"We'll just have to see if the evidence agrees with that Mr Mayhew," Brass replied.  
  
He glared more now; "You don't know what she went through, marrying into the Sinclairs. The prejudice against her. How everyone said that she was marrying him for his money. Well she wasn't. I know Ethan and Jenny. She wouldn't kill him."  
  
"We'll be in touch," Brass said unfazed.  
  
Will Mayhew marched angrily out of the room and down the corridor.  
  
'Come on Greg,' Gris though desperately, 'We need to find out what was in that glass.'  
  
Suddenly Jenny Sinclair's words filled his head and echoed in his mind: '$7.50! Was that all his life was worth?'.  
  
A/N: What do you think? Go on. Hit that button. It's calling your name you know! :o) 


	6. The Language Of The Deaf

Disclaimer: Don't Own (think I've made that clear by now but if I haven't, there you go!) Don't Sue (I'm broke) Do Review (Cos they make me smile!) :o)  
  
A/N: Hey. Thank you for all of the reviews; A Bloom, loco, jhfortier, AetherIris and JMNchik21.You guys rock!! I'm in a very good mood, because A) It's Easter so lent is over and I can eat chocolate and B) Chocolate makes me happy! Some of you have pointed out that there hasn't been that much romance yet, well nothing major at least, so I promise now that in the next chapter there will be. I'm just not going to tell you who yet ;o) Well with out anymore waffling, here it is. R&R and ENJOY!!! Happy Easter - Bex  
  
Grissom sat in his office, tapping his pen impatiently against his desk. Glancing at the phone, he tried to will it to rind. He needed to know if Greg had found out what the mysterious powder is. He needed Catherine to ring to say she'd found something else. He needed someone to tell him that they had found Edmund Rebus or Estella Dickens, or even Julian Sinclair. He needed something. And still he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that he was over looking something.  
  
A tap on the door saved him from his urge to go over all the files again for the tenth time.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Sara poked her head around the door and gave Grissom a small smile. He took off his glasses and returned the smile slightly.  
  
"I've just dropped off the sleeping tablets to Greg. I've also talked to the document expert. He confirms that the suicide letter wasn't written by Ethan Sinclair. Also he thinks that he maybe able to find the forger. Have you been able to contact the wits yet?"  
  
"Nope. Nor do we know what the powder in the glass is."  
  
"But something else is bothering you though isn't it?" She stated after inspecting his face.  
  
"I can't shake the feeling that we're missing something. Something Important," He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Don't worry Gris. We'll find it. We always do."  
  
He couldn't help but smile slightly at this. He passed her over a file and she began to flick through it. The silence was broken by the phone.  
  
"Grissom...uhum...ok," He hung up and turned to Sara, "Apparently Miss Dickens has just arrived at reception."  
  
"I'll bring her to the interview room if you want?" Sara offered.  
  
"Ok."  
  
Sara walked out of his office and down the corridor to reception. She asked the receptionist where she could find Estella Dickens and she pointed at a blond girl who sat on a chair in the corner.  
  
"Miss Dickens?" Sara called.  
  
The girl gave no response.  
  
"Miss Dickens?" Sara repeated a bit louder this time.  
  
Still she received no response. She walked closer to the girl, who was still staring absent-mindedly at the floor.  
  
"Estella Dickens?" Sara asked touching the girl's should gently.  
  
The girl's head snapped up and she stared at Sara with a blank expression.  
  
"Miss Dickens? I'm Sara Sidle."  
  
She continued to give her blank look for a couple of minutes and then nodded. Sara gave her a confused look as she tried to work out why she wasn't answering her. The girl saw this and grabbed a pen and paper out of her bag. She scribbled something down and handed it to Sara. Sara read it carefully: 'Yes I'm Estella Dickens. I can't hear or talk to you. I'm a Deaf-mute.'  
  
Sara looked up from the writing at Estella. Estella smiled slightly and pointed at her throat and ears, the shook her head slightly, as if to say 'see'.  
  
"Great! Just leave out the fact that she's a deaf-mute. Thanks Gris!" She muttered.  
  
Estella grabbed the paper from Sara. Her angry writing reflected her face. She then thrust it back into Sara's hand. As Sara read it, she could just imagine the pissed off tone of Estella's voice if she could speak: 'Look, I may be Deaf, but I can lip read. I'm not stupid you know!'  
  
"Alright," Sara said taken a bit back. "Can you...follow me?"  
  
She spoke slowly and quiet loudly for some reason she wasn't sure of and sheepishly handed the paper back to Miss Dickens. Estella put it back into her bag and indicated in front of her as if to say 'lead the way'. Sara led her back down the corridor to the interview room. They walked in to find Grissom already waiting for them.  
  
"Hello Miss Dickens, I'm Gil Grissom," He signed the greeting as he spoke it.  
  
Some of the annoyance on Estella's face fell away. She looked happier when she signed her reply.  
  
"Please sit down," Grissom signed the words whilst he talked.  
  
Grissom and Miss Dickens sat down opposite each other. Sara decided to sit down next to Gris, but to observe the interview. She decided that it was best to leave the 'talking' to him.  
  
"You do know why you're here Miss Dickens?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
'Jenny didn't do it you know.'  
  
Grissom repeated what she signed slowly in words, so Estella could see that he wasn't changing anything.  
  
"We're just trying to confirm that. What did you do today?"  
  
'Got up, washed, dressed and went to the university. Met up with Jen and had breakfast with her in the café. I left her around 10.15 and went to my class.'  
  
"What did you do after your class?"  
  
'I went out with,' She paused for a moment, 'a friend.'  
  
"Your boyfriend?"  
  
She gave Grissom a look which said 'how do you know about that?'.  
  
'Yes.'  
  
"According to Mrs Sinclair's list, you have a key and know the codes to her house."  
  
'Yes. I feed and look after their dog, Indie, when they go away.'  
  
"What was Mrs Sinclair relationship like with her husband?"  
  
'They were happy.'  
  
"Did they ever fight?"  
  
'A bit.'  
  
"What about?"  
  
'He wanted to start a family. She wasn't ready. He had no patience and liked to seize the moment. Good for business, not always good for relationships.'  
  
"What was your relationship with him like?"  
  
She paused for a moment as if she was thinking about her answer. Grissom took this time to study her. Unlike her best friend, she didn't make any eyes contact with him. Nor did she analyse him as well. But he did notice that each of her fingernails were manicured and perfectly polished. Women who could talk always spent a lot of time look after their face and dressed it up in make-up, because when they talk, people focuses on their face. But it's different for mutes and the deaf, for when they talk, people focuses on their hands.  
  
'He was nice. Very charming and successful. Jen loved him and he seemed to love her. But... I never really knew if he was worth it all.'  
  
"Worth what?" Grissom was confused by her answer.  
  
'All the prejudice and judgement she went through, that she's still going through for marrying him. No one from his world accepted her as an equal. No one accepted that they were marrying for love. Everyone said that she was after his money. Everyone treated her like dirt behind her back. I won't be able to handle it.'  
  
Grissom considered her answer. Then something he had been considering suddenly made perfect sense. But he was not sure if he believed it. He decided not to say anything whilst he was signing the next question.  
  
'Do you know where Edmund Rebus is?'  
  
'Why would I know where Ed i...' She stopped and looked away guiltily.  
  
"Gris what's going on? What did you ask her? What did she say?" Sara asked confused and worried by Grissom's silence.  
  
Grissom didn't say anything. He just continued to stare at Estella with dark eyes. Suddenly he thumbed the table between them very hard. The noise made Sara jump and stared at him bewildered, but it was the vibrations which caused Estella to look at him.  
  
'How long have you been having an affair with him?' His hands demanded.  
  
'5 months. It's not what you think. He loves me, he really does,' She signed franticly and Gris could almost hear her saying the words. 'We just kept it quiet, because otherwise he would have been fired, even though he's not my teacher. I graduate in a few months time. Then it'll be ok.'  
  
'So where is he?'  
  
'I don't know, honest. I met up with him around 11.50, after his class. We went to lunch and I left him around 4. Then I came here. I think he went to see his lawyer.'  
  
She looked at him desperately.  
  
'Please don't say anything. Please.'  
  
"Gris, what's going on? What are you saying?" Sara demanded.  
  
"It's not important," He replied simply and stood up. "I need to talk to Brass, see if he's been able to find Professor Rebus."  
  
And with that, he walked out of the room. Sara watched him, confused and annoyed at the fact that she didn't know what was going on. She stared at Estella, wishing for a few minutes that she could talk and tell her. Estella regarded her with worried eyes and then pulled out her pen and paper. She quickly wrote something down and slid the paper across to Sara: 'Can you do me a favour please?'  
  
Sara was about to write her answer, but remembered that she could lip read. She met Estella's eye and talked slowly and carefully as she answered.  
  
"Depends what it is."  
  
Estella took the paper back and wrote something else down underneath the last: 'Can you give this to Jenny for me?'  
  
She let Sara read the note, then placed a text book on Forensic Science and some photocopied sheets of writing on the table. She then took back the paper, wrote down something else, and handed it back: 'She left her book in the library. And I got some notes for her from the class she missed. Please, she needs something to take her mind off this. She has a test in 2 weeks. Please?'  
  
Sara met Estella's eyes, which reflected the pleas in her writing. Before she could answer, Grissom walked back in. He made sure Miss Dickens could see him before say and signing the next thing.  
  
"You can go now Miss Dickens. We may contact you again if we need to."  
  
'Ok. That's good, I need a smoke.'  
  
She turned to Sara with pleading eyes. Sara just nodded in answer. Estella smiled and mouthed something slowly so Sara could understand it; 'Thank you'. After she left, Sara turned to Grissom.  
  
"Now are you going to tell me what you were talking about?"  
  
But Grissom didn't answer. He simply left the room and walked back into his office.  
  
"Grissom!" She called after him, but it was pointless.  
  
She sighed in frustration and looked at the book and notes. Slowly, she picked them up and head off towards the cells.  
  
A/N: So what do you think? Go on. Hit the little blue button. Make its Easter! Lol! :o) 


	7. Simple Words

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hey. Thanks once more to everyone who reviewed my last chapter; Jessica, The Madhatter, MissyJane, jhfortier and jnp. Please keep them coming. Sorry if I managed to offend anyone last chapter who's deaf or mute. I didn't mean to, but because I can hear well I had to try and imagine what it was like. So sorry if I got it wrong. Like I promised there is definitely romance in this chapter. You'll just have to read on to find out who though. I'm off to London for a few days, so I'll bit slow updating the next chapter. Any who, here it is. R&R and Enjoy! - Bex  
  
Sara found Jenny Sinclair sitting huddled on the bed in her cell, staring blankly at the wall. Her cheeks were still stained with tears, but it seem like she had no more of them left to fall. Jenny didn't seem to notice her as she walked into her cell.  
  
"Mrs Sinclair?"  
  
Jenny turned to look at her with hollow eyes. She studied Sara's expression.  
  
"I'm guessing I'm not free to go, so why are you here?"  
  
"Your friend, Estella Dickens, we've just interviewed her. She asked me to give you this."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Jenny offered her a small smile as Sara handed her the book. Whilst she was passing it over, something fell out of the pages. Jenny picked it up confused and nearly burst into tears again after reading it. Sara looked over her shoulder to read the note, which only had the words 'I love you' written on it.  
  
"Ethan always used to do this," Jenny explained tearfully, "When ever we had a fight or he went away, he'd leave little notes all over the place for me to find. He'd write on them things like 'I love you', 'I miss you', or 'I'm thinking about you', things like that. It was his way of reminding me just how much he loved and cared for me."  
  
She smiled in a bittersweet way at Sara, her eyes misted over with tears.  
  
"You know, I still remember the first time he kissed me. We were sitting on a park bench after a date and a loose bit of hair fell in front of my face. Ethan gently brushed it behind me ear and I remember getting lost in his eyes. How they seemed to merge into mine. Then he kissed me and everything else disappeared. All there was, was that moment and that was all that mattered. And that was when I realised that I was falling in love," Tears fell down her face, but she continued to smile at the memory. "I asked him after why had he kissed me. Why then? And he just said that he decided to seize the moment. That you should never let a perfect moment pass, because you don't know if you'll ever be given another one."  
  
Sara was unsure what she should do. Unsure what to say. She was anything but a people person at the best of times, and right now she felt very awkward. Jenny just gave her a knowing look.  
  
"I loved him you know," She whispered tearfully, "I really did."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Everything ok?"  
  
A voice broke Sara from her daze. She looked around to see Nick staring at her with warm eyes. Jenny's words still echoed through her head, but she shut them out and looked away.  
  
"I'm fine," She looked back up, "What are you doing back?"  
  
He began to answer, but another voice behind the pair got there first.  
  
"That's a very good question. What are you doing back Nicky?"  
  
They spun around to see Grissom staring at them. He looked calmer then the last time Sara had seen him. Gris stared at Nick expectantly, as he waited for an answer.  
  
"Cath sent me back. She said that her and Warrick could finish searching the crime scene, so she told me to come back and see if you needed any help. They'll be back soon too," He explained.  
  
"Good, I need to go see a friend," Gris muttered.  
  
He was about to leave, but stopped and looked back at them again.  
  
"You two should go."  
  
"What?" They both blurted out.  
  
"You know, go home. Get some rest."  
  
They exchanged looks, then stared at Grissom suspiciously.  
  
"Ok. Confess now. Who are you and what have done with our Boss?" Nick demanded.  
  
Grissom pulled a 'ha ha' face.  
  
"I'm serious. We can handle the workload we've got at the moment and if we need you, then we'll page you. Ecklie's team is handling any other case that comes in. There's no point in us all ending up exhausted. So go."  
  
And with that, he walked off before either of them could protest. They stood there in silence for a few moments, then turned to face each other.  
  
Nick was the first to speak; "You wanna get something to eat?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She felt very awkward. The drive here was mostly travelled in silence. She couldn't bring herself to look him in eye, because she was scared about what she might see. Right now she was sitting next to him in a restaurant booth, silently cursing at herself.  
  
'It's just Nick," She reminded herself, 'Only Nick.'  
  
"Sara?"  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Are you sure you're ok?"  
  
"Sure," She replied, hiding herself behind the menu.  
  
She could feel his eyes watching her thoughtfully. She felt so relieved when the waitress finally came over to take their orders. The waitress was a shy looking ginger, who was probably just doing this to pay her way through collage.  
  
"Hi. What can I get you?" She asked timidly.  
  
"I'll have the salad sandwich and an ice tea," Sara replied.  
  
"Sounds good, I'll have the same," Nick agreed.  
  
The waitress collected their menus and offered a tiny worn smile. After she'd left, Nick turned to Sara and tried to get her to look him in the eye.  
  
"Sara, what's going on?"  
  
"Nothing," She replied, still avoiding his eye.  
  
"Sara? Sara look at me?"  
  
When she still refused, he cupped her face with his hand and turned it to face him. Their eyes locked perfectly together. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, just loosing their brown eyes in the other's.  
  
And then Jenny's words began to flood back into Sara head; 'I remember getting lost in his eyes. How they seemed to merge into mine.'  
  
"Sara? Please tell me what's wrong?" Nick begged quietly.  
  
"It's nothing... It's complicated," She replied trying to break away from his eyes, but failing.  
  
'The problem is you Nick,' She thought sadly, 'The problem is that you're not 'Just Nick' anymore. The problem is that I think I'm in love with you. The problem is that I don't know how I would cope with out you, but yet I'm too afraid to be with you. And it hurts. That's the problem Nick. And it scares me so much.'  
  
"Come on Sara. You know you can tell me anything. I'll understand."  
  
"I know, but how can I tell you this and expect everything to be the same," She blurted out before she could stop herself.  
  
"What?" He asked surprised.  
  
She tried her best to turn away again, but his hand stopped her. Instead she looked away.  
  
"Sara?" The reassurance in his voice made her look him in the eye again, "What's going on? Please tell me."  
  
She didn't know what it was about his eyes that made them so hypnotic. What it was about them which made apart of her never want to look away. What it was that made apart of her want to open up. To tell him everything.  
  
'Seize the moment,' The ghost of Jenny's words whispered to her, 'you should never let a perfect moment pass, because you don't know if you'll ever be given another one.'  
  
"I'm afraid," Sara confessed hoarsely.  
  
"Afraid of what?" He asked confused.  
  
She searched his eyes again for the answer to the question she was too scared to ask.  
  
'Seize the moment.'  
  
"Of this."  
  
And if Jenny's words were pushing her, she leaned closer and kissed him. It was gentle at first, but turned fiercer as if she was trying to explain everything through this one kiss. Explain how she felt. Her heart sunk when Nick made no move to return it. Ashamed and embarrassed she began to pull away. That was when a strong hand grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back in.  
  
It had taken Nick's brain a few moments to process what was happening. Someone was kissing him. Someone's lips were on his. That someone just happened to be Sara, the woman he'd admired for so long. The woman who happened to be kissing him! Alarm bells went off in his confused mind as he felt her begin to pull away. And without knowing what he was doing, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her lips back to his.  
  
They both felt the sparks fly when their lips met. This kiss was full of passion, unspoken words and feeling that had remained too long cooped up. This kiss was full of understanding. The understanding about how each one of them felt about the other. Everything else had disappeared. Everything else was forgotten. All there was, was this moment. And that was all that mattered.  
  
It was interrupted by a small coughing noise. They broke apart, gasping for air and turned in the direction of the noise. Standing in front of them was their waitress, with their orders on a tray and her face coated scarlet in embarrassment.  
  
"You orders," She mumbled sheepishly, before quickly placing them down and hurrying off.  
  
"Someone's going to be getting a good tip," Sara muttered, embarrassed.  
  
Nick chuckled softly and turned to her.  
  
"Was that all you were scared about?"  
  
She nodded, " Because I think I'm falling in love with you."  
  
Nick smiled, "I know I'm falling in love with you."  
  
And with that he kissed her softly on the lips. It wasn't as passionate as the first, nor as long, but there was still just as much electricity. He pulled away gently and inspected her face.  
  
"Suddenly, I don't feel that hungry anymore," He confessed.  
  
"Me neither," She agreed.  
  
"How about we pay for this and take our food with us for later?"  
  
She nodded in agreement and a small smile touched her lips as the last of Jenny's words drifted through her head; 'And that was when I realised that I was falling in love.'  
  
A/N: What do you think? Does that make up slightly for the lack of romance in the other chapter? Go on. Hit that little button. You know you want to. ;) Lol! 


	8. Old Friends

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hey, I'm back. I had a great time in London and the break help to inspire me to write along with your reviews. JMNchik21, MissyJane, The Madhatter, Emmy, jhfortier and Moose; you guys rock!! Well I don't want bore you by going on. So R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
Grissom got out of the Tahoe and look at the home he hadn't seen in years. He walked up the steps and rapped on the wooden door of the old house.  
  
"Who the hell is it?" barked a rough voice from inside.  
  
"It's Gil Grissom."  
  
There was a silence and then the door opened to reveal Brit Warner. His once handsome face was weather and wrinkled, but still had hints of what it had once been. Dark brown eyes were slightly hidden by two bushy grey eyebrows. His hair still had some brown left in it, but was almost completely silver. And tightly grasped in his hand was a waxed wooden walking stick.  
  
"Gilbert Grissom. You son of a bitch. You don't write, you don't call, but you just turn up on my door step and expect me to be happy to see you?" He demanded angrily, then his frown melted away and he grasped a strong hand onto Grissom shoulder. "It's good to see you Gil. How are you?"  
  
"Good. I'm good Brit," Gris replied returning his grin, "How are you?"  
  
"Still the same grumpy git who gives the authorities hell," He laughed. "Come in. Come in."  
  
He moved aside allowing Gris to enter. Grissom stared at the small, dimly lit living room. There was an old T.V and faded couch. Books were placed on every available surface and pictures of his wife and child stood on the mantelpiece. There were items, which he'd collected over the years, placed in any gaps he could find.  
  
"Sit down. Sit down," Brit ordered. "Now can I get you a drink?"  
  
He hobbled with his cane over to the tiny liquor cabinet and waved a half finished bottle of scotch which sat on top.  
  
"No thanks Brit, I'm working."  
  
"Bah! It's good stuff you know," He informed as he poured himself a glass. "Was given it as a present from someone who still visits. A lovely girl, you know, Jenny Sinclair. Sort of my protégé. You would love her."  
  
Grissom cleared his throat uneasily as Brit limped back to the couch to sit down.  
  
"Actually," Gris began carefully, "That's why I'm here."  
  
Brit's face turned pale and he stared at Grissom with panicked eyes.  
  
"She's not...she's not....not..." He stuttered, not being able to bring himself to say it.  
  
"No. But her husband is."  
  
"Oh god. Poor Jenny," He then stared at Gris, studying his face. "You think she did it, don't you?"  
  
Gris nodded, "She's one of our suspects."  
  
"Bullshit," Brit snapped. "Jenny isn't capable of doing something like that. Do you think I would have taken her on if she was?"  
  
"Maybe you took her on for another reason."  
  
"You think I took her on, cos she reminded me of my kid? Don't you?" He demanded.  
  
Grissom just slowly nodded. He's seen Brit interrogate enough suspects to know that it was useless to try to lie to him.  
  
"I knew it. For your information Gris, I did not choose her because of my daughter, Laura. I met Jenny when she was 18. At that time she was doing her psychology degree. I gave a talk to her class, and she asked all the right questions and gave me all the right answers. I took her on cos I saw potential. I saw that she was intelligent and inquisitive. That's why I took her on."  
  
"But that fact doesn't clear her Brit and you know it," Gris stated.  
  
"And what reason so you have for believing she did it? What's her motive Grissom? Because that's one of the most important things."  
  
"The pressure. The fights with her husband. The money."  
  
Brit snorted, "Every couple fights. I probably didn't help by telling her to get some experience behind her before she started a family. She's always been good with pressure. And she was never after his money."  
  
He took along sip of his drink and turned his hard eyes directly at Grissom.  
  
"You've got to remember that I 'know' people. When that bastard kidnapped my wife and kid, I knew he'd killed them before making his demands. But I ignored my instincts. I ignored my gut feeling. I went after him and came back with two bodies and a bullet in my leg," His voice shook with rage at the memory. "Any way, how can you say you understand human emotions when you can't even sort out your own?"  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Grissom demanded.  
  
"What do you think I mean by that? I mean you and Catherine. I may be retired, but I'm not blind."  
  
Grissom didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth slightly, but shut it straight away. He thought about denying it, but he knew it would be useless. Instead he just stared at Brit.  
  
'Is it really that obvious?' He though.  
  
"You're in love with her Gil, any fool can see that. I knew it the first time I saw the pair of you together. Yet you still haven't told her, have you? She's not still with that asshole of a husband is she?"  
  
"No, he's dead," Gris replied and then off Brit's look, "And no she didn't kill him!"  
  
"Never said she did," Brit denied innocently, but he muttered into his glass, "Won't have blamed her though if she had."  
  
He stood up again and limped over to the mantelpiece. He gingerly picked up a picture of his daughter, a beautiful 14 year old who would forever remain that way.  
  
"Why did you come here Gil?" He asked, staring at his girl.  
  
"I don't really know myself," Gris confessed. "I have a feeling that I'm missing something. I think I'm here to try and understand Jenny better. I guess I'm here to try and work it out."  
  
Brit looked at him with a knowing look and nodded.  
  
"I know what you mean. There's something about that girl which you can't explain, but some how makes her magnetic and draws people to her. Ethan got caught by it. Hell I did too. But really I think we were drawn to each other. Two lonely people looking for company," He looked Grissom right in the eye. "You know what happen to her father?"  
  
"Yes. She told us about her dream."  
  
Brit shook his head slightly, "That isn't a dream. It may come back as one, but it's a memory. She used to always watch for her father to come home from the window. She saw him get stabbed and she was told later that he'd died in hospital. Poor thing."  
  
"Is that why she wanted to become a CSI?" Gris inquired.  
  
"That's her business to tell ya, not mine. If you want to find out the answer, then you'll have to ask her."  
  
A picture in the chaos of Brit's home caught Grissom's eye. He walked over and as carefully as you would hold a child, he picked it up. Staring at the image, he instantly knew where it was taken. In his hand was a picture from Jenny's wedding. It was of her and Brit, who was dressed in a tux and had an arm wrapped around her, both smiling. Grissom turned to Brit, who had noticed which photo he held.  
  
"You gave her away on her wedding day?" Gris asked, even though he already knew the answer.  
  
Brit nodded, "Never got the chance to do it with my own daughter and she never got a chance to let her dad do it."  
  
He gently took the picture off Gris. A small smile touched his lips as he looked at it.  
  
"I should be getting back Brit," Gris said quietly, feeling guilty about interrupting Brit's thoughts.  
  
"I know. You need to get back and hurry up proving Jenny's innocents," He placed the picture back down and smiled at Gris. "Tell my Jenny I said hi. Also tell your Catherine that I say hi to her and Lindsey."  
  
"I will. Bye Brit."  
  
'My Catherine,' Gris thought with a smile as he left, 'If only that was true.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom found Catherine in the layout room examining the photos from the crime scene. She didn't notice him as he stood in the doorway watching her. He watched as she ran her tongue along her dry lips. It was simple actions like this that made her so intoxicating to him. He looked away quickly, not wanting her to catch him staring.  
  
Something Brit had said was troubling him. He'd said that any fool could see that he was in love with her. Catherine was definitely no fool, so did that mean she knew?  
  
He decided not to put it off any longer and let out a small cough to let her know that he was there. She looked up on hearing the sound and a brilliant smile spread across her face on seeing who it was.  
  
"Hi," He greeted quietly.  
  
"Hi yourself. Where have you been?"  
  
"To see an old friend," He answered walking up to her, "Brit."  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"He's good. Hasn't changed much. He told me to say hi to you and Lindsey for him."  
  
She paused for a moment then looked Grissom directly in the eye, "Gris, why did you go and see him?"  
  
"I've got a feeling that we're missing something, you know? I just went to talk to him. To try and figure things out."  
  
Cath nodded slightly, "And what did he have to say?'  
  
"That Jenny didn't do it. And I admit I sort of agree with him."  
  
"What's going on Gris?" She demanded giving him a hard look. "You're always telling us not to get emotionally involved in cases. To trust the evidence and nothing else. But right now, you're being really hypocritical."  
  
He averted his gaze. He didn't know how to explain what made Jenny Sinclair different. How to explain the magnetism Brit talked about. Instead he chose an easier option.  
  
"Brit 'knows' people. He knows how they think. How they work. You worked with him long enough to know that."  
  
"I think his judgement is clouded with Jenny. She's only two years younger then his daughter would be."  
  
"I don't think that's the case."  
  
"Even if it isn't Gil, it doesn't clear her."  
  
"Come on Cath, Brit was right about...." He cut himself off, then continued, "About a lot of people."  
  
He had almost said Eddie. That would have been the last thing they need right now. The last thing he wanted was an argument with Catherine or a slap around the face.  
  
'That's because you're a coward,' A voice taunted him. 'Just because you don't want to risk loosing her, even if it's through telling the truth. And yet you're not willing to try to have her. Coward.'  
  
And as if he was agreeing with the voice, he steered the conversation back onto safer grounds.  
  
"Well we need to find Edmund. Has anyone been able to yet?"  
  
"No. But Greg found something you might be interested to know."  
  
"Oh?" Grissom asked, eager for any new information.  
  
"He managed to pull the medical records for everyone who's connected to the case, to see if anyone had been proscribed anything that might have been used. He found that Robert Sinclair's been taking painkillers for a slipped disc and," She handed him a sheet, "Jenny Sinclair used to take Prozac."  
  
He read the sheet.  
  
"But she's been off it since she was 17," He pointed out. "So what does this have to do with the case?"  
  
Catherine shrugged, "Just thought you might want to know. So do you want to go over these files with me again and try to workout what we're missing?"  
  
Grissom tapped his fingers on the desk as he thought through his answer.  
  
"You start without me. There's something I have to do first."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
As he entered the cells, Grissom saw Jenny Sinclair huddled on the bed, reading a Forensics book. And as if sensing his presences, she looked up at him. Her emerald eyes were blood shot and phantom tears still stained her cheeks. She gave him a curious look.  
  
"I guess you're not here either to say I'm free to go. So why are you here?"  
  
"To talk. Where did you get the book from?"  
  
"One of your team gave it to me. Apparently, Estella dropped it off. It was the pretty, brown haired women," Jenny explained.  
  
"You mean Sara?"  
  
She nodded, "Yeah, that's her. You're here to talk about what exactly?"  
  
"I went to see Brit. He says hi," He finished, awkward about such a lame answer.  
  
She just nodded slightly, a small smile touching her lips.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
He didn't know what it was about her that made him want to open up and to talk to her, not caring what it was just as long as he kept talking. Brit had the same gift, but his seemed to be based on fear he put into others. Her's was through trust and the way she made you feel like you were talking to an old friend, when you had a conversation with her. But either way the gift was very powerful.  
  
"He told me about your dad. What you saw."  
  
She looked away, pained by the memory.  
  
"Is that why you were put on Prozac?"  
  
Her head snapped up. Her eyes seem to scan his face, as if she was trying to workout how he knew about it.  
  
"Yes, among other things," She shrugged.  
  
He sat down on the end of the bed, trying to work her out, wishing that it was as easy as Brit made it seem.  
  
"Is your father why you wanted become a CSI?"  
  
This simple question brought a simple smile to her lips as she answered.  
  
"Yes. I wanted to give other people the closure I never had. But I couldn't afford the course, so I took psychology instead. I figured that if I couldn't solve the cause of their pain, I should at least try to ease it. Then I met Ethan and I told him everything. He seemed, I don't know, impressed and finished paying for my psychology degree, then paid for my Forensic Science as well."  
  
Grissom nodded in understanding and looked at her book.  
  
"I have a test soon," She explained as if she was reading his mind. "Studying is helping to take my mind off things I guess."  
  
They sat there staring at each other with a sort of mutual understanding. Grissom was the first to break the silence.  
  
"I should..."  
  
"Be going? You need to get on with proving my innocents," She finished.  
  
He smiled gently at her and she offered a weak smile in exchange, then buried herself in her book again.  
  
Grissom walked back to find Catherine now in his office. She sat there reading a file, with the other spread out on the desk in front. He sat down next to her and picked up a file. He knew that she knew where he'd been. For hours they sat there, working a silence, comforted by each other's presence. After a while, exhaustion took them over. And if by fate, Grissom fell asleep next to the resting Catherine, with an arm loosely, but protectively, around her shoulders.  
  
A/N: So what do you think? Reviews are very appreciated and I know you love that button, so what are you waiting for? :o) 


	9. Innocents

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own nothing.  
  
A/N: Hey. Sadly the next chapter might take longer to be updated, because I'm returning to hellhole known as school *sob* I will try my best. Thank you for all of the reviews; pdhtgal, The Madhatter, csichicagolove, JMNchik21, Moose, PITAchic and shondie. You are angels. Please keep them coming, for I'll try and write faster. I'll even dedicate Business Studies to writing this. Deal? Nick and Sara aren't in this chapter, nor is Warrick. But all three will be returning next chapter. Well R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex  
  
"YES!"  
  
The cry from down the hall woke Grissom from his sleep. He blinked a couple of times to rid the haze from his eyes. Looking at his watch, he read the time 6.14am. He must have fallen asleep around 11.30pm. Had he really been asleep that long?  
  
Then he noticed the sleeping form of Catherine. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful, that he didn't want to wake her. He could quiet happily watch her like this till the end of time. All the grogginess that he was experiencing quickly cleared up when Greg burst through the door.  
  
"I've got it Grissom. I'VE GOT IT!" He shouted happily.  
  
Grissom frowned at him and was about to tell him to keep it down before he woke Catherine, but it was already too late. She groaned as she woke up and looked up at Greg sleepily.  
  
"Morning Greg. Where's the fire?" She muttered.  
  
"And good morning to you too."  
  
"So?" Gris asked impatiently.  
  
"So?" Greg repeated confused, then realised what Gris was on about. "Oh, why I'm here. I'm here because I've found out what the white powder is."  
  
Both Gris and Catherine perked up at this and looked at Greg expectantly.  
  
"It is ground painkillers," He announced proudly. "More importantly, they're the same brand of painkillers that Robert Sinclair's been proscribed."  
  
He handed the two CSIs the results sheet.  
  
"It's too early to go and see him," Cath commented as if reading Grissom mind.  
  
"Fine," He agreed irritated. "Do you know where Warrick is?'  
  
"He feel asleep in the break room," Greg informed them.  
  
"Cath can you go and wake him. And also page Nick and Sara too," He ordered.  
  
"Sure thing Boss," Cath responded before she left.  
  
Grissom noticed Greg yawning compulsively and two large, dark bags rested under his eyes. He guessed that he'd probably didn't get too much sleep last night.  
  
"Greg, go get some sleep."  
  
"I'm fine," Greg insisted, unconvincingly as he yawned. "Ok, maybe I'll go and get a little shut eye."  
  
"Oh yeah. I'm good," Grissom heard Greg mutter triumphantly as he left.  
  
After he had gone, Gris picked up the phone. He knew that Edmund Rebus used to go for a morning jog around 6.30. He just hoped for his sake that he hadn't given it up. Gris dialled the number and after a number of rings, someone picked up.  
  
"Hello?" mumbled a groggy voice.  
  
"Ed, it's Gris."  
  
"Hey Gil, why the hell are you ringing so early?"  
  
"Don't you watch the news?" Gris demanded more angrily then he'd intended.  
  
"Haven't yet."  
  
"Or listen to your answer machine messages? Or turn on your mobile?"  
  
Ed groaned, "Look Gris, I'm in no mod for games. It's early and I have a bitch of a hangover."  
  
"I'm calling because your student, Jenny Sinclair, is facing being charged with the murder of her husband unless you can clear her," He snapped.  
  
There was a pause whilst these words settled in.  
  
"I'll try and be there in about 20 minutes," Ed told him.  
  
"Try and make it in 10," Gris ordered as he hung up.  
  
Edmund Rebus actually managed to make it in 15. Grissom watched him through the one-way mirror, as he sat waiting in the interview room. He looked terrible. There was a shadow of stubble on his pale face, his eyes were red and his clothes a mess. Grissom was not looking forward to this. He nodded at Catherine and they walked in.  
  
"Hey Gil. Catherine," Ed greeted on their entry.  
  
Catherine smiled in response, whilst Grissom's face stayed a mask.  
  
"Where have you been Ed?" Grissom demanded, failing to keep the edge of anger out of his voice.  
  
He hesitated, "With my lawyer, sorting out my divorce. Then I went and got drunk."  
  
"And before that?"  
  
Cath stared at the two men, trying to workout what was going on. Ed wasn't meeting Gris' eye, which was fixed glaring at him intensely. And was there a hint of disappointment mixed in with the anger? She decided to step in.  
  
"Ed, can you tell us if Jenny Sinclair came to your class at 10.30?" She asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Was she late?"  
  
"No, slightly early actually and ready as usual."  
  
"Did she leave early?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes," Ed confirmed.  
  
"Are you covering up for her?" Grissom butted in.  
  
Ed's head snapped to face Grissom, meeting Gris' glare. He gave him a confused look.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Are you covering up for her?" Gris repeated.  
  
"No. Why would I be doing that?"  
  
"You tell us Ed. Maybe it had something to do with where you went after your class? More importantly, who with."  
  
Ed looked away guiltily.  
  
"What's going on Gris?" Cath demanded, confused about what was going on.  
  
"Maybe you should ask Ed." Gris suggested, and after Ed gave no response, "Ok. How about I tell you how Ed's been sleeping around with a student. Estella Dickens to be more precise."  
  
"Ed?" Cath asked, not sure if she believed what she was hearing.  
  
Edmund gave no response; instead he just shuffled uneasily in his seat. He then nodded slightly and Cath's face was covered by a look of shock.  
  
"What were you thinking? You could get fired for this. She's 18 years younger then you."  
  
"It's not what you think," Ed defended.  
  
"Oh really?" Gris asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"I love her. She's going to graduate soon, then it'll be ok."  
  
Gris snorted slightly.  
  
"Look, me and Kara are getting a divorce. I didn't mean to fall for Estella, but I did and I'm glad. And I don't need your approval," Ed snapped angrily at him.  
  
He glared at Grissom and then turned to Cath.  
  
"No, I'm not covering up for Jenny Sinclair. Yes, she was in my class at 10.30. No, she wasn't late. And no, she didn't leave early. Can I go now?"  
  
"Yes," Cath replied before Gris could protest and make the situation worse.  
  
Ed stood up and stormed out. Cath watched him go, disappointed in him. She then turned to Grissom, who had started to pace around the room. Her face fell to a look of pity. She hoped for his sake that his and Ed's friendship could be saved.  
  
"Gris? Gris talk to me?" She pleaded gently.  
  
"How could he be so stupid? He could get fired. I never expected him to do something like this. What was he thinking?" He blurted angrily.  
  
Catherine shrugged, "Love makes people do the wacky. Consequences be damned."  
  
He looked at her and held her gaze. His anger began to melt away, as if her blue eyes were cooling it. They stood there in silence for a bit, then he turned away and rubbed his temple.  
  
"Do you want to tell Jenny Sinclair or not?' She asked.  
  
"I'll tell her."  
  
"Then I'll tell the lawyer," She sighed and began to walk out.  
  
"Catherine?"  
  
She stopped and looked back at him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He shook his head, "Nothing."  
  
She gave him a look and left. He sighed and sat down to collect his thoughts before going to see Jenny. Apart of him didn't know why he'd got so mad at Ed. Apart of him was jealous of him for actually going after someone he loved. For selfishly giving in. Something he was too afraid to do.  
  
'Coward.'  
  
A/N: So what do you think? Please review and give me something to smile about. :o) 


	10. A Cure Insomnia

Disclaimer: I own nothing!!!  
  
A/N: Hey. So it didn't take me as long as I thought it might. But no such promises on the next chapter, but I'll try my best. Thanks once again too all you wonderful reviewers: MissyJane, The Madhatter, PITAchic, Moose, Brianna and JMNchik21. Thank you sooo much, you've made a girl very happy :o) Please keep them coming in. And Moose don't worry; I didn't compromise my schoolwork for this (as tempting as it was). Well back by popular demand, we have the return of Nick and Sara, and also Warrick. So R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
Sara woke up feeling fully rested for once. That was the best sleep she'd had in a long while. A smile spread across her face as she felt Nick's strong arms still wrapped around her. Who'd have thought that he would be the cure for her insomnia, when he was one of the things she thought about most when she couldn't sleep.  
  
She shuffled slightly to face him. Enjoying herself, she allowed herself the luxury of staring at his peaceful face. She breathed in the scent of him, wishing this moment could last forever. She smoothed her crumpled shirt, apart of her glad that they'd agreed to take it slow. Apart which was in conflict with the part which wanted more.  
  
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. They fixed on her with a loving smile.  
  
"Morning beautiful," He whispered and kissed her softly on the forehead.  
  
"Morning," She replied in the same tone and kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
"You sleep well?" He asked as they parted.  
  
"Much better then usual," She smiled.  
  
He chuckled and stared into her eyes. Nick wasn't sure if he would ever get used to this, because it still felt like a dream.  
  
'And if that is what it is,' He thought, 'I hope I never wake up.'  
  
This was a perfect time to kiss her again, but before he could act, their pages went off in unison. Both let out a small groan, before rolling away from each other, in search of their pagers.  
  
"Work," Nick said after looking at his. "Same here."  
  
"Looks like we're needed," Nick sighed.  
  
Really he just wanted to stay here with Sara. A shy look covered her face and she looked awkwardly back at him.  
  
"I think we...um..." She hesitated.  
  
"Keep this a secret for now?" He finished and she nodded.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer.  
  
"I understand," He reassured her, though a part of him wanted to tell the whole world.  
  
She smiled and hugged him back. He gently stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"We should be going," He whispered, not wanting to move him self.  
  
She nodded in agreement and got up. She couldn't rid her face of that smile. And really she didn't want too.  
  
'Come on,' She challenged the world. 'Do your worst. I can take it. I have Nick now.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom found Jenny Sinclair staring at the wall in her cell. Her face was worn with exhaustion, but a small amount of hope glimmered in her eyes when she saw him. The cell door rattle echoed loudly as it was opened. Grissom stepped inside and walked up to her.  
  
"You're free to go," He told her gently.  
  
Relief flooded her face and a small smile touched her lips.  
  
"Thank god," She whispered. "Thank god."  
  
She ran a hand through her tangled hair, as she tried to calm it. She gave Grissom a grateful nod and picked up her book. He led her in silence back to the reception.  
  
There he found Brass arguing with some guy. They stopped suddenly when they saw Gris and Jenny walking closer. The guy looked glad to see Jenny.  
  
"Jenny," He smiled.  
  
He walked closer and reached out as if to embrace her, but she flinched back slightly. She looked uncomfortable, though she was trying her best to hide it. The man either didn't notice or didn't care. The man looked a lot like Ethan Sinclair, though he was taller, with darker hair and eyes. He wore an expensive suit and aftershave. Grissom decided that it was safe to beat that this was Julian Sinclair.  
  
"They're releasing you right? Will told me what happened. They're not charging you right?" He demanded.  
  
Jenny just gave a small nod, still refusing to meet the other man's eye.  
  
"Oh Jen, I'm so sorry bout Ethan," He soothed, embracing her.  
  
She looked uneasy as she hugged him slightly back. Though that look was replaced by one of hidden relief when he pulled back finally.  
  
"You ok? How you holding up?"  
  
"I'm fine Julian really," She replied avoiding his staring eyes.  
  
"You sure? You got anywhere to stay, cos I'll get you a room at the hot..."  
  
"I've got somewhere,' She cut across.  
  
"You sure, cos it'll..."  
  
"Mr Sinclair?" Grissom interrupted.  
  
Julian Sinclair turned to face Gris with an annoyed look.  
  
"Yes?" He demanded icily.  
  
"We would like to ask you a few questions."  
  
"Well you'll have to wait," He snapped back. "I'm going to take Jenny..."  
  
"I'm fine Julian," She cut across firmly.  
  
"You sure? Well you know where I'll be if you need me," He smiled and squeezed her arm gently.  
  
She pulled back and plastered a tiny smile on her face, which Gris presumed to be fake, then nodded. Julian turned to glare at Brass, who led him to the interview room.  
  
Grissom walked up to Jenny. She seemed a bit shaken, but he wasn't sure what had caused it. He wanted to pry, but he wasn't sure if this was a good time.  
  
"Hey, you ok?" He asked concerned.  
  
"Yes," She let out a small laugh. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"  
  
He returned her smile and shrugged in response. Her smiled changed to a serious look and she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket.  
  
"Do you have a pen?" She asked.  
  
Gris handed her one and she wrote something down, and then handed it to him.  
  
"It's the address and phone number of the place I'm staying," She explained. "If you want anything or need help. Or if there's something I can do, then just please call me."  
  
Gris nodded, "Sure."  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently in comfort. She looked him in the eyes and he saw the pain in them.  
  
"We're going to find out who did this Jenny," He promised.  
  
She just gave him a half-hearted nod and a smile in return and left.  
  
Grissom joined Brass in the interview room. Julian Sinclair sat there with a very pissed off look on his face. He reached into his pocket to pull out a lighter and cigarette.  
  
"You can't smoke in here," Brass told him.  
  
He glared even more and put them away.  
  
"So, can you tell me why I'm here?" Julian demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance.  
  
"Just to ask a few questions," Brass replied. "You sure you don't want a lawyer?'  
  
"Why? I have nothing to hide," He stated confidently.  
  
'Oh, but we all do Mr Sinclair,' Gris though back. 'Some more then others.'  
  
"Fine. Maybe we should start by you telling us where you were yesterday around 10.30," Brass asked more then suggested.  
  
"I was with Drusilla Luis at her house."  
  
"Girlfriend?"  
  
He shrugged casually, "Sort of. I can give you her address and number if you want to check."  
  
"Yes, we will be."  
  
Julian fished out a little black book, then copied down an address and number and slid it across the table.  
  
"There. Anything else?" He asked cockily.  
  
Gris raised an eyebrow a bit. He'd taken a strong disliking to this man. He was very confident and full of himself. And Gris didn't trust him one bit.  
  
"Yes, can you tell us what you did for the rest of the day?" Gris took over.  
  
"Like I said, I was at Dru's, till about 11.00. Got something to eat and met some clients around 11.15. Found out from my father what had happened around 2.30. I was grieving, so I went and got drunk. Then I crashed at my place, I have no idea when."  
  
"We know you had a fall out with your brother. Can you tell us what about?"  
  
Julian chuckled softly, "It was stupid really. He'd heard that I'd slept with Melissa before she died and her and her boyfriend had a fight about it. He thought for a while that she'd topped herself on purpose. He kinda blamed it on me and though she'd might of said something to me. Then he went and brought the property I was after to get at me. Stupid really." His face grew sober, "I wish now that we'd sorted it out."  
  
Gris wasn't sure if he was being genuine. He seemed to be, but from what he'd heard, Julian Sinclair was very slippery. Julian let out an annoyed sigh.  
  
"Look, can I go? My father's grieving, so I've got to run the business solo," He asked irked.  
  
Brass nodded, "But we'll need a list of the clients you talked to yesterday and their contact numbers."  
  
"Sure," He mumbled. "What ever. I'll send them to you.'  
  
And with that, he left before either of them could get another word in.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nick's hands were still entwined with hers. It had been that way ever since they'd gotten out of the car. And now they were almost entering the building.  
  
"You know, I think it'll give the game away if we go in like this," Sara pointed out, trying her best to sound serious, but her smile caused her to fail.  
  
"Yeah," Nick agreed, but didn't let go.  
  
"Mr Stokes," She warned playfully.  
  
"Miss Sidle?" Nick's tone was equally as playful.  
  
In one quick movement, he spun her around to face him and wrapped his arms around her back. Now they were only centimetres apart.  
  
"This better?" He asked teasingly.  
  
Sara giggled and Nick started to lean in...  
  
"Ok. Put the Sara down and back away slowly," ordered a mock serious voice.  
  
They leaped apart and spun around to see Warrick standing there, grinning like a Cheshire cat.  
  
"Well, well, well," He teased. "What do we have here?"  
  
Sara was blushing and Nick look embarrassed. They looked like two teenagers who'd just been caught by their parents. Warrick had to try very hard to stop himself from cracking up.  
  
"Hi Warrick," They mumbled one after the other.  
  
"Finally. You know I was beginning to suffocate under all the sexual tension you two and Gris and Cath were producing," He wrapped an arm around both of them. "I happy for you guys. Just be glad it's me who caught you and not Grissom. And be more careful in future."  
  
"Believe me, we will," Sara muttered.  
  
He laughed, "Come on, Gris wants to see us in the break room. I think it might look less suspicious if you don't go in together."  
  
And as if taking a hint, Sara walked off by herself.  
  
Warrick turned to Nick and whispered, "Told you she won't break your nose," before following her.  
  
Nick was the last one to arrive in the break room. Grissom noticed him exchange a look with Sara, before he went and stood on the opposite side of the room. Something was definitely going on between those two, but right now he had more important things to worry about, so he brushed aside.  
  
"Glad you could finally join us," Gris greeted with a hint of irritation in his voice.  
  
The three younger CSIs picked up on this and exchanged a look.  
  
"What did we miss?" Nick asked.  
  
"Jenny Sinclair's been released. We managed to finally find Professor Rebus to confirm her alibi," Cath filled in.  
  
"So we're back to square one," Sara sighed.  
  
"Not quite. Greg found out what the white powder mixed with the bourbon is. It's ground painkillers, but more importantly, they're the same brand that Robert Sinclair's been proscribed," Gris informed them. "Also, we've interviewed Julian Sinclair. He claimed to be with a Miss Drusilla Luis, so we need to pay her a visit."  
  
"I'll go," Brass offered.  
  
"Ok, Cath can you go with him?"  
  
"Sure," She smiled at Gris and then the pair left.  
  
Grissom then turned to the three remaining members of his team. He looked at each one of them quickly and made his decision.  
  
"Sara and Warrick, I want you to go and see Robert Sinclair. Make sure you ring a head," Gris ordered.  
  
"Oh joy!" He heard Warrick mutter sarcastically as they left.  
  
"What do you want me to do Boss?" Nick asked.  
  
"I need you to go and see Al. He should have the blood tox results back by now. Also get him to go over the autopsy report with you again, see if there something we've over looked."  
  
"Sure, I'll get right on it," Nick replied before he gave Gris a quick nod and left.  
  
Now he was all alone again. Just him and the case files. He looked at them. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep until he'd solved this case. Sighing, he poured himself a coup of strong coffee, collected up the files and walked back to his office. There he would wait, sipping at his coffee and going over the files, till the answers his team were collecting came in.  
  
A/N: What do you think? I promise Cath and Gris will get there eventually. I just haven't decided when yet * laughs evilly * But maybe I'll hurry it up if I get some more review? It's up to you. Please? :o) 


	11. Dead Ends

Disclaimer: Yes I own this, along with my privet jet and collection of islands off the coast of Spain (note sarcasm).  
  
A/N: Hey. Sorry this took a bit longer then usual. But it's quiet a long chapter to make up for it. I took the national IQ test last night. I'm very proud of my result, because to my shock, it's says that I'm actually above average!!! :o) But knowing me, I'll do something shortly which will prove the test wrong :o( Anyway, thanks to all who reviewed; loco, MissyJane, Moose, PITAchic, ***son, The Madhatter, pdhtgal and shondie. I've said it once, but I'll say it again, YOU GUYS ROCK!!! Please keep them coming. Promise that G/C will get there soon, so just hang on. Well enough of this waffling and on with the next chapter. R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
Miss Luis' apartment block left much to be desired. The walls in the corridor were covered in white. Well, at least that was what Catherine guessed it had once been, but now it had turned a mottled colour with age. There was a large water stain down one of them where a pipe obviously needed to be fixed and a going light flickered madly. They found her faded blue door, number 27, near the end of the hall. Brass tapped loudly on it.  
  
"Hold on. Hold on. Be there in a minute," A voice called from inside.  
  
After a couple of minutes, the door opened slightly and a woman with pale skin and long, curly ebony hair stared at them through the crack.  
  
"Yes?" She asked cautiously.  
  
"Miss Luis, I'm Jim Brass and this is Catherine Willows. We're from the Las Vegas crime lab, can we come in?"  
  
"What for?" She inquired giving them a weary look. "This about Ethan Sinclair?"  
  
"We just need to ask you a few questions," Cath told her, spreading her best 'public smile' over her face.  
  
The woman hesitated for a moment.  
  
"Sure," She agreed reluctantly and opened the door wider so they could enter.  
  
She pulled her dressing gown tighter around her slim body, as they walked in. Her dark hazel eyes inspected every step they took. Nervously, she ran a hand through her hair.  
  
"Look, I was late getting up and I'm going to be late for work," She told them quickly.  
  
"Don't worry. We won't keep you too long. We've just got to ask a few questions that's all," Brass assured her.  
  
She didn't look reassured, but gave them a tiny nod.  
  
"Ok. But I need to get ready."  
  
"Sure."  
  
Drusilla then started to pick up her clothes off a chair and walked down the small hall. She walked into her bedroom, leaving the door open so they could talk, but hid herself from view so she could change.  
  
"So what are you here about?" She called to them.  
  
"We need to ask you about Julian Sinclair."  
  
"Oh?" There was caution in her voice.  
  
"Do you know where he was yesterday around 10.30?" Cath asked.  
  
"Yeah. He was here," Dru's reply drifted down the hall after a pause.  
  
Cath wished that she could see her face so she could tell if she was lying or not.  
  
"Are you his girlfriend?" She questioned.  
  
She heard Drusilla let out a bitter laugh, "Hardly. I'm just a decent piece of ass. That's all women are to Julian Sinclair. Can you be a hon and butter that toast for me?"  
  
And as if on cue, a piece of toast popped out of the toaster behind Brass and Catherine. Brass looked mildly shocked, but searched for the butter and spread a thin layer on the toast. Drusilla emerged from her room, now dressed in a short black leather skirt and a red sequinned corset top, which revealed her midriff. She gratefully smiled at Brass and took the toast off him.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Then she began to look around her messy apartment in search of something. Both Brass and Cath recognised her 'uniform'.  
  
"You work at the Oasis Casino?"  
  
"Yeah. That's why Julian doesn't want this getting out. In return, I get a good bonus and he makes sure that his father doesn't fire me when I'm late. I'm always late," She replied, then frowned. "Now where the hell did I put my shoes?"  
  
Her frown transformed into a smile when she spotted them hidden under her couch.  
  
"There you are," She mumbled happily as she crouched down.  
  
She reached under her couch and fished them out, then stood up. As she did so, she winced in pain and put a hand on her right rib.  
  
"You alright?" Catherine asked in concern.  
  
"I'm fine," Dru replied unconvincingly.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Drusilla avoided Catherine's questioning stare.  
  
"I just tripped slightly at work and hit my ribs on the side of a slot machine," She laughed nervously, "These heels are a broken neck waiting to happen, but Mr Sinclair's willing to risk ours. What do they say, 'No pain, no gain.'"  
  
Catherine gazed at her, not convinced by her story. She was sure that something else was going on.  
  
"Can you tell us when Julian Sinclair left here?" Brass inquired.  
  
"I think around 11.00. I'm not sure. My clock's broken."  
  
She pointed to a clock which sat on a table. Sure enough, the glass front was smashed and the clock had stopped. She glanced at Brass' watch.  
  
"Oh shit!" She swore. "I'm really late. And Mr Sinclair's been in a fowler mood then usual after he found out about Ethan's death. I've really gotta go."  
  
"Ok," Brass agreed after seeing the pleading in her eyes, "We'll take you if you want?"  
  
"Oh no," She declined firmly. "People will start to ask questions. And questions are something I can't afford."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
All thoughts of Sara disappeared from Nick's head when he spotted Al Robbins. The doctor stood examining a corpse on the slab.  
  
"Hey Doc," Nick greeted.  
  
"Hi Nick," He replied, then walked to his desk and handed Nick a sheet of paper. "Here, the blood tox report shows traces of the same lethal cocktail in the glass was in blood stream. That's what killed Mr Sinclair."  
  
Nick studied the sheet and then followed Al back to the slab.  
  
"You know, I think it's about time I was given a holiday," He heard Al mutter.  
  
"Could he have been forced to drink it?" Nick asked.  
  
"The corpse showed no signs of bruising around the face or upper body. No was there any bruising on the rest of the body for that matter. You would usually expect to find some bruising if he'd been forced," Al answered, as he began to continue his autopsy.  
  
"So what you're saying is that Mr Sinclair had no idea what was in that glass? He drank it willingly? That he trusted the person who gave it to him?"  
  
Al shrugged, "I can only say what the corpse tells me. It's your job to fill in the gaps."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Warrick was standing once again in the lounge like room connected to Robert Sinclair office. Sara stared around the room, taking it in, whilst Warrick was silent thankful that Tiffany Sinclair wasn't there again. They had rung the Sinclair's house, as instructed, to find that Mr Sinclair had already left for work. Now they were waiting to see him.  
  
The door behind them opened and Warrick recognised the lady who entered. It was Mr Sinclair's sectary, Clair if he remembered correctly. She offered a thin smile.  
  
"Mr Brown," She greeted with a nod. "And this must be Miss Sidle."  
  
"That's right."  
  
"Please follow me. Mr Sinclair will see you now."  
  
They followed her over to the office door and she knocked on it. A gruff voice told them to come in.  
  
"Mr Sinclair, Mr Brown and Miss Sidle from the Las Vegas cr..."  
  
"Alright. Alright. You can go Clair," He barked.  
  
She hurried out. Mr Sinclair took a hard swig of his whiskey and let out a wheezy cough.  
  
"I heard you let Jenny go."  
  
"That's right. We cleared her."  
  
"So you're here to tell me that you've got a new suspect in custody?" He demanded more then asked.  
  
"No. We're here to ask about the painkillers you've been proscribed," Sara informed him.  
  
His brow furrowed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We believed that they were used to kill your son."  
  
"What!?" The shock in his voice was reflected in his face.  
  
"Where do you keep you proscription?"  
  
"I have one bottle at home, but none of them have gone missing. I also keep another bottle here encase I need them. But there right... CHRIST!" He exclaimed when he opened a desk draw to find that they were missing.  
  
"When was the last time you saw them?" Warrick asked.  
  
"I guess about a week ago. I haven't needed to take them at work for a while."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes! Oh Christ," He whispered.  
  
"Mr Sinclair, how many people have access to your office?" Sara questioned.  
  
"I don't know. I leave it open during my working hours. I mean, Jenny's friend who can't speak was in here a few days ago. She wrote down that she was trying to find Ethan when I asked why she was in here. Oh fuck."  
  
'Brilliant,' Warrick thought dryly, 'Just Brilliant.'  
  
Robert Sinclair drained the last of the whiskey from his glass hurriedly.  
  
"CLAIR!" He yelled, making both of the CSIs jump.  
  
Clair arrived quickly with a scared look covering her face.  
  
"Yes Mr Sinclair?"  
  
"Get me another whiskey."  
  
"Umm...Julian told me not to," She stated timidly.  
  
"I don't give a damn what he said," His voice erupted, "Just fetch me another god damn whiskey."  
  
"What's going on here?" Julian demanded as he entered. "Clair who are these people?"  
  
"They're...they're from the crime lab," Clair replied shakily.  
  
"Great," He sneered glancing at them.  
  
He turned to his father, ignoring the other people in the room.  
  
"What's going on dad?'  
  
"I just want another whiskey. Is that too much to ask? Some bastard stole my painkillers and used them to murder Ethan. To murder my son. My son," His voice trailed off as it turned to tears.  
  
Julian walked over and placed a hand lightly on his father's shoulder.  
  
"It's ok dad," He said without any soothing in his voice.  
  
He then glared at the two CSIs and the nervous sectary.  
  
"I've faxed over my client list. Is that all?" He demanded.  
  
"For now," Warrick answered evenly.  
  
"Then I suggest you leave," Julian ordered. "You too Clair."  
  
Clair all to happily complied with Julian's orders. The CSIs followed her out of the room to find her leaning against a wall, clearly shaken.  
  
"You ok?" Warrick asked gently.  
  
"I will be," She sighed.  
  
"Is he always like this?' Sara inquired, feeling sorry for the young woman.  
  
Clair shook her head, "No. Doesn't usually erupt like that. He's been touchy ever since he learnt about Ethan's death. I understand though, he loved Ethan to bits. He was so proud of him. It's Julian I'm more worried about."  
  
Sara and Warrick exchanged a look, but Clair had left before they could ask any more questions. They both agreed that it was probably was a good idea to do the same.  
  
"Gris is not going to be happy about this," Warrick sighed.  
  
"I know. But did you see Clair's face when she was looking and talking about Julian? She looked terrified."  
  
Warrick nodded, "I saw."  
  
"I wonder why? Why is she so afraid of him?'  
  
They slid into the Tahoe and Warrick started the engine. Both of them were not looking forward to telling Grissom the news.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom was half way through the autopsy report again when the phone rang. Without any hesitation, his hand shot out and answered it.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Ah Mr Grissom. It's Oliver Nickels here, the document expert. I think I've found your forger," The man on the other line replied.  
  
"Oh who?" Grissom asked, thankful for a new lead at least.  
  
"A man called Lou Carpenter. He's been arrested a couple of times for forgery, placed in jail once and there're a number of other cases that we believe involve his work, but haven't been able to trace back to him. Even in an excellent forgery, small traces of the forger's original handwriting are there. You just need to know where to look."  
  
"Do you have an address for him?"  
  
"Yes. I'm faxing it over right now, along with his criminal record and a picture."  
  
"That's great. Thank you Mr Nickels."  
  
"No problems at all. If you need me again, just ring."  
  
They hung up and Grissom watched the documents arriving at his fax machine. He couldn't help but smile as he went over to them. Then the phone sprang into life again.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hey, it's Catherine."  
  
His smile grew.  
  
"Hey Cath. So what do you have for me?"  
  
"Zilch. Miss Luis is confirming Julian's alibi," She sighed.  
  
His smile vanished. But the weight of the paper in his hands reminded him that there was still a lead.  
  
"Well we think we've found our forger. He's called Lou Carpenter. We've got an address too. Do you and Brass mind checking him out?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
He gave her the address and they hung up.  
  
'Come on,' He begged, 'Please say we have a lead somewhere.'  
  
There was a quick tap at his door and Nick entered.  
  
"Well the tox report shows that the same mixture, which was in the glass, ended up in Mr Sinclair's blood stream," He announced and placed down the report onto the desk.  
  
"What else did Al have to say?'  
  
"There was no bruising, so he took it willingly, unless there was a gun to his head or something."  
  
"But if not, that tells us that he trusted the person who gave it to him," Grissom finished.  
  
"Yes. Doesn't really help us leave square one though."  
  
"Neither does what we found out," Warrick commented as he walked in followed by Sara. "A missing pill bottle and hundreds of people who could have taken it."  
  
Sara smile flooded back on to her face when she saw Nick, who returned it, but she quickly hid it before Gris noticed. Not that he would anyway, because right now he was looking at Warrick, sharing his frustrated look.  
  
"Have we got any leads?" Sara asked.  
  
"Miss Luis is confirming Julian Sinclair's alibi, but we managed to find out who the forger might be. Cath and Brass are on their way to see him as we speak."  
  
'And I hope they find him,' Gris added silently. 'Because if they don't, we've reached a dead end.'  
  
A/N: So what do you think? I want your opinions people and I know you itching to give them. So what are you waiting for? Hit that button now! Lol! :o) 


	12. Still Hope

Disclaimer: Like I've said before, I own nothing.  
  
A/N: Hi. So I took a bit longer updating this time. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter; MissyJane, PITAchic and The Madhatter. Can't express enough how much I appreciate them, so please keep them coming. Well R&R and Enjoy!!! - Bex  
  
'This place is even worse then the last place,' Cath thought as she looked at Lou Carpenter's apartment block.  
  
All the paint on the walls had faded, a couple of broken windows had been boarded up and she had already counted ten things that need replacing or fixing. And to top it off, seeing as this place was next to the desert, a fine layer of sand seemed to be every. Right now, Brass was banging loudly on the battered door of Lou's number 14 apartment.  
  
"Mr Carpenter?" He yelled once again through the door. "Mr Carpenter open up."  
  
"You lookin' for Lou?" A voice asked behind them.  
  
They turned round to see a Chinese woman, with short black hair and silver rimmed glasses, staring at them. By her side stood a young boy with short, spiky hair.  
  
"Yes," Catherine answered.  
  
"Good luck," The woman wished them as she began to unlock her door.  
  
"What do you mean by that? Do you know where he is?"  
  
"Last time I saw him, he was getting ready to leave for Mexico," She replied. "Probably half way there by now."  
  
"Great," Cath muttered bitterly.  
  
"What's your name miss?" Brass asked.  
  
She gave them a questioning look.  
  
"Ching-man Yen. Who are you anyway? Why you lookin' for Lou?"  
  
"We're from the Las Vegas crime lab. We need to ask Mr Carpenter some questions," Brass replied.  
  
"Like I said, good luck. He spilt after he completed this job. Didn't tell me what it was, but hell did he get a lot of money for it. Gave me $2,000, said it was to help me take care of Li," She indicated to the child next to her and then frowned, "He's not in trouble is he?"  
  
"Like I said, we just need to ask him a few questions," Brass repeated.  
  
Ching-man looked slightly reassured at this and unlocked her door.  
  
"Hope you find him, but I doubt it," She said before walking in.  
  
'Great. Grissom is not going to like this,' thought Catherine darkly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Catherine was right, Grissom didn't like it. Their only lead had evolved into yet another dead end. He now sat there glaring at the files; as if he was trying to scare the secret they hid out of them.  
  
'I promised Jenny that I would find out who did this,' He told them silently, 'And believe me, I will.'  
  
That was when the knock at the door came. His head snapped up and he started at it, as he tried to guess who it was.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Surprise took over him when the last person he thought it would be was standing right in front of him. Her skin was pale, free from make-up, revealing the exhaustion she felt. Her hair had been quickly tied up, so loose bits fell out around her face. She wore a pair of jeans, a black tank top and a plan grey jacket, zipped half way up. Now her worn face offered him a weak smile in greeting.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Jenny what are you doing here?" Grissom asked, his surprise leaking into his voice.  
  
"I...I couldn't sleep. I couldn't focus. I need to help. I need to...to do something. I'm going mad not doing anything. I need closure," She answered, her face and voice pleading. "Please? Take me to the crime scene? I know it. I can spot something which might help. Please?"  
  
He knew he should say no. He knew he shouldn't let her get involved. His head knew this, but his heart felt for her. Her eyes mixed with pleading and pain, the desperation in her voice. Her longing for closure. It was that what made him give in. For once letting his heart take control and ignoring his head.  
  
He nodded and his lips formed a simple answer; "Yes."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
They had sat in silence the whole journey. Jenny kept staring out of the window, her face and eyes haunting. He saw a look of fear spread across her face as they came closer to the place she'd once called home. Without knowing what he was doing, he clasped a hand over hers and squeezed it gently. The action caused her to look at him. He gave her a quick smile, which she returned, before staring out the window again.  
  
Grissom was silently thankful when they arrived to find that the press had packed up and cleared off. He got out first, the walked around to help Jenny out. She was shaking slightly from fear and dread. Grissom began to think that maybe this wasn't such a great idea.  
  
"Are you ok?" He asked concerned.  
  
She shook herself slightly, "Yes."  
  
And before he could say another word, she had started off towards the crime scene. He followed her, handing her a pair of latex gloves, which she put on before they entered. Her pace slowed, as they got closer to the study. She stopped, took a deep breath and regained her composure. Then she walked defiantly in.  
  
Grissom watched her carefully, as she analysed the crime scene. Now she reminded him so much of Brit. The way she took her time, careful not to miss a single detail. She then had a look of realisation as she found something.  
  
"There," She announced, pointing at the top of the liquor cabinet.  
  
She walked over and Gris followed.  
  
"There are no glasses on top of it. He always used to keep two glasses out encase we had company. That means someone was with him, because if he'd been on his own, there would be another glass here," She explained.  
  
"Are you sure?" Grissom questioned.  
  
"I know my husband's habits Mr Grissom," She replied.  
  
"Ok. But in future call me Grissom or Gris or even Gil. The Mr part just sounds wrong."  
  
She gave him a nod and a smile. A smile which faded away when she saw the wedding photo on the desk. She walked over and gingerly picked it up. Tears formed behind her eyes, waiting to fall as she stared at it intensely.  
  
"Are you ok Jenny?" Grissom repeated the question he'd asked her so many times now.  
  
She nodded firmly, placed the photo back down, wiping away the unshed tears. Then a questioning look covered her face and she sniffed the air. Grissom followed her as she walked over to the curtains and sniffed again.  
  
"Do you smell that?" She asked.  
  
She held out the curtains so he could smell.  
  
"It's smoke. Doesn't smell that old at all."  
  
Grissom was confused, "So?"  
  
"My husband gave up smoking after we got married," She stated. "The ashtray in here is just for guests."  
  
Jenny walked over to the ashtray and dipped a covered finger in it. She showed Grissom her fingertip. A fine layer of grey ash covered it.  
  
"It looks quite fresh. Someone had a cigarette, empty the tray, but left a fine layer of ash behind," She decided.  
  
Grissom nodded in agreement and collected the ash.  
  
"Lets go back and get this processed," He suggested.  
  
She nodded and followed him out of the house. Away from her husband's tomb.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom told Jenny to wait in his office whilst he gave Greg the new evidence. He walked in to find her sleeping in a chair, her head resting on his desk. There was peacefulness to her face, something she deserved to have when she was awake as well.  
  
"Grissom, I was wonderin..." Cath began as she walked in.  
  
He raised a finger to his lips, the gesture cutting her off, then indicated to the sleeping form of Jenny.  
  
"What's she doing here?" Catherine asked in a hushed voice.  
  
"I took her to the crime scene," He replied in a soft tone.  
  
"Gris," She snapped quietly, "Do you think that was a sensible idea?"  
  
"She found some new evidence."  
  
"But that still doesn't excuse the fact that you took a civilian to a crime scene. Even let her search it."  
  
"A civilian who knew what she was doing," He defended.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"You know perfectly well what I mean. You've been distant for weeks now. Shutting everyone out. Shutting me out. What's going on Gil?"  
  
Grissom held her demanding gaze. He wanted to tell her. Admit that he was loosing his hearing. Admit that soon he wouldn't be able to hear her voice. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.  
  
"Fine," She sighed in frustration. "Fine!"  
  
She turned on her heels and stormed out. He watched her go, mentally kicking himself. He turned around to see Jenny's eyes wide open, watching him from where she lay.  
  
"How...How long..." He stammered slightly.  
  
"Have I been awake?" She finished, straightening herself up. "The whole time. I heard everything."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Are you..." She paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "Are you in love with her?" You are aren't you?"  
  
His eyes snapped up to meet hers. He managed to hide his shock, but it unnerved him how she knew. Was it really that obvious? He considered lying to her, but decided that she was probably as good at reading people as Brit. So instead he nodded.  
  
"Thought so. You look at her in the same way Ethan looked at me," She stated, slightly pained by the memory. "But you haven't told her."  
  
He shook his head, turning away.  
  
"And I guess you haven't told her that you're loosing your hearing either?"  
  
He spun around to face her, failing this time to hide his shock. He'd know this woman two days and yet she knew so much about him. He wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly told him his blood type.  
  
"How...How did you know?" He asked unnerved.  
  
"When people talk to you, you focus on their lips like Estella does when she's lip reading," She pointed out.  
  
'She's an observant one I'll give you that Brit,' He thought to himself. 'Looks like he taught her well.'  
  
"Does anyone know?" She asked him gently.  
  
"No," He replied and sat down, avoiding her eye.  
  
"You should tell someone. You shouldn't go through this alone. You should tell her everything. Even how you feel," She pushed slightly.  
  
"You make it sound so easy," He chuckled a bit.  
  
"Your heart understands what your head cannot yet conceive; trust your heart," She quoted.  
  
He laughed this time, "You sound just like Brit."  
  
"He's a very wise person. What's holding you back?"  
  
"The fear she doesn't feel the same. The fear that she'll reject me and I'll loose her," He admitted for the first time.  
  
"You won't. She feels the same way too."  
  
Her statement caused him to look at her. Her eyes were just as confident as her voice.  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Gris questioned.  
  
"Because she looks at you the same way I looked at Ethan," Jenny replied honestly.  
  
Grissom had never been so shocked in his life. A part of him was convinced that she was wrong. But she seemed so sure. Was she right? Did Catherine feel the same?  
  
He watched her try, but fail to suppress a large yawn. He could see her exhaustion was trying to take over her again.  
  
"You should go home and get some rest," He pointed out softly.  
  
"I don't want to be alone," She admitted quietly.  
  
She looked so vulnerable. So frightened. Gris felt his pity rising. Just like Brit, a part of him wanted to protect her. Take care of her. He gave her a slight nod of understanding.  
  
"Stay here," He ordered gently and walked out his office.  
  
In the corridor, he automatically spotted the person he was after.  
  
"Warrick."  
  
"Yeah Gris?" He asked turning around.  
  
"Can you do me a favour?"  
  
"Depends what it is?" Warrick replied looking at him cautiously.  
  
"I want you to take Jenny Sinclair back to where she's staying and stay with her until we get the results of what brand of cigarette left the ash."  
  
Warrick looked confused, but after a pause he nodded, "Fine. Just let me get some stuff from my locker."  
  
Grissom returned to his office to find Jenny standing there, waiting for him.  
  
"Warrick's taking you back and he's going to be staying with you till we get the results. He's a good guy, he'll look after you," He informed her.  
  
"Thanks. I've been making friends with your hairy office partners," She smiled, pointing at his spiders. "What are you going to do? Are you going to tell her?"  
  
He shrugged and looked away, desperate to avoid the conversation.  
  
"Oh no, that's not a good enough answer."  
  
He raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to give in till I say yes, are you?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Fine, I tell her," He gave in and Jenny smile widened triumphantly. "You've got to realise that I'm not great with words and people."  
  
"Then remember what I learnt from learning sign language," She suggested.  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
Before she could answer, Warrick walked in.  
  
"Ready to go?"  
  
"Yes," She turned to Gris, "I'll talk to you soon. Good luck."  
  
She began to follow Warrick out, but before she exited she turned back and signed her answer; 'Actions speak louder then words.'  
  
A/N: What do you think? I think you can guess what might happen next chapter (nudge, nudge, wink, wink!) So please get those reviews in and I'll try my best to update ASAP (not compromising my schoolwork in anyway though!) :o) 


	13. Actions Speak Louder Then Words

Disclaimer: I wish I owned this, but sadly I do not.  
  
A/N: Hey there. Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter; PITAchic, MissyJane, AetherIris, The Madhatter and undacoveragent9. A thousand thank yous and please keep them coming. It's my birthday on Thursday, so I may attempt to update this before, if not I'll try a.s.a.p. Well I believe many of you have guessed what this chapter might be about, and I believe that many of you will be right. Enough of my waffling, and on with the show (well story!) R&R and ENJOY!!!- Bex  
  
Grissom was nervous. His hands were shaking slightly and he couldn't stop the butterflies that filled his stomach. He didn't want to do this. What if she rejected him? What would he do then?  
  
'Coward,' the annoying voice reminded him.  
  
He walked into the break room to find her pouring a cup of coffee. Sara, who sat on the couch, smiled in greeting, but Catherine made no response to his arrival. She either didn't know he was there or she was ignoring him.  
  
'Great,' Grissom thought hopelessly.  
  
He cleared his throat, "Cath? Catherine?"  
  
"Uhuh?" She grunted in response, not looking at him.  
  
He walked closer and put a hand on her arm.  
  
"Cath, can we please go to my office and talk?" He requested gently.  
  
"I thought Jenny was asleep in there," She retorted coolly and moved away.  
  
"Hey guys," Nick greeted as he entered.  
  
He stopped when he saw Cath's angry face, Gris' hurt one and Sara's uncomfortable look. Sara got up and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Mum and dad are fighting," She warned in a hushed voice.  
  
"Oh. Let's go," He whispered back.  
  
"You two can stay here," Grissom ordered more then suggested. "Catherine and I were about to go to my office."  
  
Catherine flung her hands in the air; "Fine," She snapped before storming off.  
  
'You better be right Jenny,' He begged silently as he followed her. 'You better be right.'  
  
Catherine was waiting for him as he entered, glaring at him with a very pissed off look.  
  
'Any yet she's still beautiful,' Gris thought. 'Ok, stop that and focus.'  
  
"So?" She demanded icily.  
  
'This is not good,' a panicked voice told Grissom. 'You could've at least decided to tell her when she was in a better mood with you.'  
  
"What do you want to talk to me about Grissom, cos I'm not in the mood to have my time wasted?" She snapped.  
  
"I...." He stopped and tried to choose the right words. "I...um...well, we've been friends for a long time now and...um."  
  
'Yeah, way to go Romeo! Very smooth!' the annoying voice taunted.  
  
He cringed inwardly and mentally told himself to shut up.  
  
"And?" Catherine pushed impatiently.  
  
"And I...um...I...." He continued to struggle, forgetting how to talk. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...um."  
  
Grissom could see her impatient look growing on her face. He knew that soon she was just going to turn around and walk out of here. And if she did that, he might loose her for good.  
  
His frustration and panic were growing. He knew he had to say something, do something, but the words wouldn't come out right. That was when what Jenny had signed came flooding back into his head.  
  
'Actions speak louder then words.'  
  
And it was as if those words had taken control of him, giving him strength. Without knowing what he was doing, in one swift movement he closed the gap between them, pulled her close to him and crashed his lips onto hers.  
  
She stiffened at first from shock, but quickly returned his kiss just as hungrily. Their minds exploded; tongues and lips colliding and dancing to their own rhythm. She ran a hand through his hair and his arms wrapped tighter around her back. His kiss deepened, causing her to bash against the desk, but that didn't matter right now. Nothing mattered but this kiss. Years of sexual tension, longing, lust and waiting were being burned away at this moment in time.  
  
They broke apart, both gasping for oxygen, resting their foreheads together. Gris frantically gasped in oxygen, but opened his eyes to look at her. To him, Catherine had never looked more beautiful then she did now.  
  
"I guess," He panted, "That's what I was trying to say."  
  
"And in words that is?" She asked, equally as breathless.  
  
"You want it in English as well?!" He joked in a mock serious tone.  
  
She just nodded and let out a tiny laugh. He looked her straight in the eye, his joking expression turning very serious.  
  
"I'm in love with you Catherine Willows," He confessed hoarsely. "I've always have been and I'll always will be."  
  
She didn't respond. Instead she continued to stare into his eyes, her own misting over. He placed a hand gently on her cheek.  
  
"Cath?" He asked worried, "Is everything ok?"  
  
She reached up and covered his hand with her own, a single tear trickling down her cheek.  
  
"Everything's perfect now," She whispered, "Because you've finally said what I've been longing to hear. And I'm in love with you too Gil Grissom. I have been for so long now."  
  
He silenced her with another kiss. His lips softly brushed against her. She searched his face, looking for another answer.  
  
"But there's something else isn't there?" She asked softly.  
  
He nodded. This was the thing he'd been dreading. But staring into Catherine's eyes gave him the strength he'd always need. The strength to do anything.  
  
"I'm loosing my hearing," He admitted sadly.  
  
She gasped slightly with shock and flung her arms around him. He returned the tight embrace; his head nestled against her neck, not wanting to let her go.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Gil?" She whispered into his ear.  
  
"Because I knew the second I told anyone else, would be the second it finally became real," He confessed.  
  
"Is there anything they can do?"  
  
"I can have surgery, but I'll be off work for months. And if it fails, I'll be deaf. I'm scared Catherine," He breathed.  
  
"You don't have to be. You're not going to face this alone. No matter what happens, I'll be here," She promised.  
  
He pulled back slightly so her could see her face, amazed by the strength and beauty in it. He slowly leaned closer, placing his lips gently on top of hers. She returned it filled with her strength, drowning all of his fears. This kiss slowly became more and more passionate.  
  
"Grissom, I've got it. I hold the answers right here in my ha..." Greg began as he ran into the office, not bothering to knock first.  
  
The two CSIs jumped apart. Greg was cut off by the flushed looks on their faces and their pants for breath. He looked at their embarrassed faces, raising an eyebrow when he saw Catherine straightening her shirt.  
  
"Was I interrupting some...."  
  
"What is it Greg?" Gris cut him off, a dangerous edge of annoyance in his voice.  
  
"Oh yeah, why I'm here. I know what brand of cigarette left the ash in the tray," He stated proudly.  
  
"And the brand is?" Gris and Cath demanded impatiently in unison, desperate to find out.  
  
But before Greg could reply, he was cut off by Brass hurrying into the office, followed by Nick and Sara. Brass gave the two older CSIs a look when he saw their flushed faces, but quickly brushed it aside. Grissom didn't like the look of urgency on their faces.  
  
"Drusilla Luis has been taken to hospital, badly beaten," Brass announced darkly.  
  
"Oh god," Cath gasped.  
  
"And that's not it. Before she passed out, she said something about Julian being drunk and that she never should've covered for him," Sara finished.  
  
"Do you know what brand of cigarette we're after?" Nick asked, sharing the urgent tone of the others' voices.  
  
"Yep, got it right here," Greg replied.  
  
Grissom grabbed the sheet with the labs results on off Greg and began to desperately search his desk.  
  
"We need to call Jenny," He muttered quickly.  
  
He finally found the piece of paper with her number on and hurriedly hit the button on the phone keypad.  
  
'Come on Jenny,' He silently begged, 'Pick up the phone. Come on.'  
  
A/N: What do you think? I want you opinions and I'm sure that you're more then happy to give them. So what are you waiting for? HIT THAT BUTTON!!! Lol! Think of it as a birthday present to me! :o) 


	14. Gut Feelings

Disclaimer: If I haven't made it clear already, I own nothing.  
  
A/N: Hello again. I had a great birthday, which really inspired me to spread my joy and write this as quickly as possible. Thank you to all who review the last chapter; anonymous, MissyJane, pdhtgal, shondie, cRaZyPiXiE, PITAchic, Charming-Storm and Catherine. You guys are amazing!!! It really made my birthday! :o) Keep them coming. You opinions really help me to write this. Well any way, on with the plot. R&R and ENJOY!!!! - Bex  
  
Warrick quickly glanced at Jenny as she shifted in her seat again in the SVU. He watched with half an eye as she ran a hand through her hair, her reflection in the window wore an anxious face.  
  
"Everything ok?" He asked, breaking the silence.  
  
She turned to face him.  
  
"Yeah. It's just...do you have a mobile with you?"  
  
"No. Mine's been playing up for a while and finally decided to die a little while ago. Grissom knows about it," He responded. "Been meaning to get a new one."  
  
Her sad face fell further and his pity grew for her.  
  
"Don't worry. We're almost there," He reassured.  
  
"I know," She replied. "It's just..."  
  
"You want any news ASAP?" He finished. "I understand."  
  
He turned a corner and mild relief flooded her face as she pointed to a building.  
  
"Laramie Apartments," Warrick read off the sign on the side of the building.  
  
"It means 'tears of love'," She explained. "When me and Ethan were on holiday in France, we found a baby shop called it. After he brought this apartment block he needed a name and well, it just came back to me."  
  
He pulled into the car park which was attached and they got out. Jenny crossed the tarmac over to a side door and unlocked it. He followed her in, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light she'd switched on. Warrick followed her into the lift.  
  
"I didn't want to go to a hotel. Be round people who know what's going on. So instead I came here," She told him. "All the apartment have electricity, water and a phone line. They're ready for people to move in. Ethan was going to start advertising them this week."  
  
They reached the top floor, which was smaller then the others. Jenny led him down a single corridor to a lone door. She opened it and they walked inside.  
  
It was a penthouse apartment. At the moment they were in a gigantic room that had been separated into a living room, dining area and kitchen. Three arches divided each section. The walls were a plain white and pieces of covered furniture were spread around the room. There were boxes scattered around the place and the utensils in the kitchen were brand new and unused.  
  
"Wow. This place is huge," Warrick exclaimed.  
  
"3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a study and this area to be exact," Jenny told him. "Ethan and I were going to do it up and keep it for friends when they came to visit."  
  
"What are you going to do with it now?" Warrick inquired gently.  
  
She sighed, "I don't know. Maybe keep this for myself and sell the rest of the apartment block. I'm not sure. I need my head to stop spinning before I make any decisions."  
  
Warrick nodded. He watched her yawn again. The yawns had become more frequent now. She wondered off into a room and he followed her. It was what, he presumed, would be the master bedroom. Right now it was a large empty space, apart from a pulled out futon and a bedside table, on top of which was the phone. He looked at the books and the notes which covered the duvet on the futon.  
  
"I really need to study, but I can't concentrate," She muttered. "I've got my final exam before I graduate in a few months time."  
  
"I could help you if you want?" He offered.  
  
This produced a small smile; "I might take you up on that."  
  
She yawned compulsively again.  
  
"You need to rest," He insisted.  
  
She gave him a small nod and he helped her clear stuff off the futon so she could sleep. Something fell out of a stack of notes Warrick had picked and he gently picked it up to see what it was. It was a picture of Jenny and Ethan, arms wrapped around each other, both smiling. Something they would never do again. Jenny face fell into sorrow again when she saw it.  
  
"How did you meet?" Warrick asked, curious about the answer.  
  
"I was 19. I used to work as a waitress at Vita é Bella, you know, the overpriced Italian restaurant?" She asked and he nodded. "Anyway, I had a shift one night when Julian was holding a party there. The men who were invited were all the same. All perverts who saw me as nothing more then a toy. After a few hours of tolerating their harassment, I went out for a breather before I said or did something that might have gotten me fired. And Ethan was standing out there having a smoke. I had no idea who he was at that time. He asked me what was wrong and I told him. Then he asked me why I put up with it, and explained why I needed the money. He was the first male that whole evening who seemed interested in me as a person."  
  
She paused for a moment, smiling at the memory.  
  
"We talked for about half an hour, before my boss came out, very pissed off. He was about to have a go at me, but he stopped when he saw Ethan and was very respectful to him. I found out later who Ethan was. He went to join the party and I went back to work. He left me a tip big enough to pay for a term of my course, then turned up at the restaurant a few nights later and asked me out."  
  
She gingerly took the photo from Warrick and placed it away in the draw in the bedside table. She fought back the tears and ran a hand through her hair.  
  
"I think I'll have a shower before I go to sleep. I must look hideous," She mumbled.  
  
"I doubt that's possible," Warrick commented before he could stop himself.  
  
She looked away, uncomfortable and an awkward silence filled the room. Warrick inwardly kicked himself, and decided to save the situation by steering the conversation back onto safe grounds.  
  
"You hungry?" He asked.  
  
She shrugged, still avoiding his eye; "I guess. But I don't have anything here."  
  
"I thought I saw a shop down the road."  
  
"Yes there's one," She confirmed, uneasy about something.  
  
"What?" Warrick pressed.  
  
"It's nothing. I'm being stupid. It's just...I don't really want to be left alone. I don't feel safe...I've just got this feeling," She sheepishly tried to explain. "I guess I'm just being paranoid."  
  
He nodded understandingly and took his gun out of his holster.  
  
"I could leave it with you if it'll make you feel better?" He offered.  
  
Jenny gave him a tiny nod and he placed the gun safely in the draw. He gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"I'll be back soon," He promised. "You'll be fine."  
  
She gave him a weak smile in return. He turned to leave, but she called him back.  
  
"Warrick?"  
  
He turned around and she chucked the set of keys at him, which he caught perfectly.  
  
"You'll be needing those."  
  
"Thanks," He replied.  
  
They exchanged a one more brief smile, then he left.  
  
15 minutes later, Warrick was walking back with a box of donuts, one regular coffee and one de-caf in his hands. He wondered how Jenny was and if Gris had phoned yet. He wondered if she finally was getting the sleep she needed.  
  
He crossed the car park and headed towards the side door of Laramie Apartments. His head snapped round as he heard something. It sounded like footsteps. He scanned the car park, which was empty apart from the SVU.  
  
'Calm down Warrick,' He told himself. 'No one's here.'  
  
He shook away his paranoia and took out the keys to get in. He balanced the load he was carrying carefully, as he slid the keys into the lock.  
  
That was when he felt the sharp pain serge through his body, as a hard object smacked the back of his head. It was the last thing he remembered before he fell into darkness.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
She felt as if tiny part of her load had been lifted from her. The shower had left Jenny refreshed and now she walked into the bedroom. She'd changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants, but kept her black tank top. Her hair curled slightly and clung to her face in damp bundles.  
  
She listened for a moment. The apartment was dead quiet. She looked at her watch. It had been 20 minutes since Warrick had left, and he should have been back by now.  
  
"Warrick?" She called into the apartment, only to be answered by the stillness.  
  
She jumped slightly as the phone shattered the silence. Jenny picked it up. A feeling had taken over her. A gut feeling that she wasn't alone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Jenny, it's Grissom," came the reply from the other end of the phone.  
  
"Hey. Has Warrick called you?" She asked trying to settle her nerves.  
  
"No. Isn't he there with you?" Gris asked, confusion and worry in his voice.  
  
"He went out 20 minutes ago to get some food and he hasn't come back yet. Gil, why are you ringing?"  
  
"We have the results back. We know what brand of cigarette left the ash in the tray," He announced and she unintentionally held her breath. "They were Silk Cuts."  
  
Her eyes widened and she forgot to breath. Her panic was on over load. The silence on the other end of the phone worried Grissom.  
  
"Jenny? Jenny are you ok?"  
  
"I know who's cigarettes they were. Gil, I know who smokes that brand," She whispered urgently. "It's..."  
  
The phone line suddenly went dead before she could finish.  
  
'No, no, no,' She thought hopelessly as she listen to the still line.  
  
"Gil? Grissom?" She called into the phone desperately, as if she was trying to will a reply.  
  
She spun around as she thought she heard the apartment door click open. She concentrated hard on the silence. Was that footsteps she heard?  
  
"Warrick?" She called, fear drenching her voice.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Her heart began to accelerate as her fear rose. The useless phone slide from her grasp and she grabbed for her mobile. She franticly searched for Grissom's number, then began to dial his number as quickly as possible.  
  
She had just finished and was about to hit call, when a voice behind her made her blood run cold.  
  
"Hello Jenny."  
  
A/N: Dun dun da!! Who is it? Do you want to know? Are you sure? Then hit that button, cos that's the only way I'm giving it to you. :o)  
  
P.S. About the cigarette brand: I don't smoke, so I just chose a random brand name off the shelf at a newsagent. 


	15. Deadly Secrets

Disclaimer: Don't Own. Don't Sue. Do Review.  
  
A/N: Hey again. Thanks to MissyJane, lil smiles, Moose, =), pdhtgal, cRaZyPiXiE, Shondie and The Madhatter for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are incredible. Sorry about the mean cliff-hanger. To make up for it, I've tried to update ASAP. Only one more chapter to go *sob * :o( Well R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
"Jenny? Jenny?" Grissom shouted down the phone.  
  
He's only answer was the silent line. His panic was rising. What was going on? Was she all right? Was Warrick all right?  
  
'This is not good,' His mind warned. 'This is definitely not good.'  
  
"Gil, what's going on?" Catherine asked, worried by the panic in his face and voice.  
  
"The phone line's gone dead."  
  
"What about Warrick? He's with her right? You can call him?" Sara suggested.  
  
Grissom shook his head, "He's phone's not working."  
  
"Great!" He heard Nick mutter.  
  
Gris slammed down the phone. He was just about to feebly try to ring Jenny again, when the phone blared into life. Quickly, he snatched it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Hello?" He tried again, his voice rising.  
  
Then a clear voice broke through. A voice he recognised instantly.  
  
"Hello Jenny."  
  
The last colour in his face drained away and he looked at his colleges, who shared his worried face.  
  
"We've got to get over there now."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jenny edged back slightly, trying her best to hide her mobile. She prayed that it had called Grissom and by some chance he could hear this. She looked panicked into the eyes of her husband's murderer. Someone who may soon become hers as well.  
  
"Ju...Julian," She stammered, desperate to keep the fear from her voice. "Wh...what are you doing here?"  
  
He staggered forward and she took another step back. The vile stench of cigarette smoke and whiskey clung to him. His eyes were blood shot and his face gaunt. His temper was always worse when he was drunk.  
  
"I came to see you. Aren't you glad to see me Jen?" He slurred.  
  
'What do you think you asshole?' Her head screamed, but she knew that she shouldn't provoke him. Not if she wanted to get out of here alive.  
  
"Where's Warrick?" She asked dreading the answer.  
  
He laughed drunkenly, "He fell asleep."  
  
The laugh made her sick to the stomach. He made her sick to the stomach. She backed up further, wanting to keep as much space between them as possible. She tripped over the futon, landing flat on her back. Before he noticed, she managed to hide the mobile under it. She begged that someone was on their way. Slowly, she dragged herself up. Julian's face was a mask of confusion.  
  
"What's wrong Jenny?"  
  
That question made her anger rise, engulfing her fear. Her rage took over her. Her hatred.  
  
"You really thought that I wouldn't have found out Julian?" Jenny screamed at him, her voice soaked in pure loathing. "You really thought that I would never know that you killed Ethan?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"...that you killed Ethan?"  
  
Grissom heard Jenny's words snap over the radio. The phone in his office was on speakerphone and Greg had found away for them to listen to it over the radio as they sped along to the apartment block.  
  
He knew that Jenny's outburst was not going help anything. He was scared for her. Worried about what Julian may do to her. Worried that she was going to share the same fate as her husband.  
  
Then there was Warrick. What had happened to him? Was he alright? Was he hurt? Was he aliv...  
  
'No. Don't think like that,' He ordered himself.  
  
Right now he was helplessly forced to listen to what was happening, knowing that there wasn't a thing he could do.  
  
'Hold on Jenny,' He begged. 'We're coming. Just hold on.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Julian's froze for a moment as if she had slapped him. Jenny forced herself to look him straight in the eye. There was no fear in hers. Instead they danced with rage.  
  
"Why?" She demanded, "Why did you kill him?"  
  
"Because he stole everything from me," He snapped.  
  
His face and tone made the fear flood back into Jenny. There was a glint in his eye that made her heart freeze.  
  
"He was more successful then me. He was dad's favourite. He was popular. Everyone loved him and he could do no wrong. And I was forced to live in his shadow," He shouted, years of pinned up anger escaping. "And you were the final straw."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom head snapped to meet Catherine's. Her face mirrored his shocked confusion. What was Julian talking about? What was going on?  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You," Julian continued angrily closing in on Jenny, "Were just another one of his achievements. Turning you into some sort of Cinderella. You were just another prize."  
  
"He loved me," Jenny whispered, her voice drenched in fear.  
  
"NO!" He screamed, shoving her hard against the wall. "I love you. I DID!"  
  
Julian grabbed both of her arms, pinning her against the wall. She struggled, helplessly being forced to stare at his face. Her eyes widened like a trapped animal, her heart pounding wildly in her ears, body gripped with fear.  
  
"But you couldn't see it," He whispered in a singsong voice. "You were too caught up by perfect Ethan. Too blind to see the truth."  
  
"I loved him," She gasped, his strong grip hurting her.  
  
"No," He muttered. "You never saw it. You never belonged in his world Jen. All the years of pretending to be something you're not. Doing it all for him. I saw it. He wasn't worth it."  
  
He grasped both of her arms in one hand and thrust them against the wall. A small groan of pain escaped her lips. He was only inches away now. She could see the mad glint in his eye. The one beyond reason. She could feel his hot, sweaty breath on her face. The strong stench of smoke and whiskey stung her nose. He trailed the fingers of his free hand down her cheek, gently caressing the skin and tears underneath it. She tried to flinch away, repulsed by him. Hopelessly she struggled to free herself.  
  
"He got everything he want and I wanted everything he had. But none of them were ever within my reach. You stung worse of all. But now I can have them. Have everything he had. Even you."  
  
He began to lean closer. Jenny struggled harder, her head screaming at her to get away.  
  
"No Julian. Please," She begged, her voice mixed with salty tears, "Let me go. Let me go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The cars screeched to a holt in the empty car park of Laramie Apartments. The CSIs leapt out of the vehicle. Several police officer and Brass followed them out of a few swat cars.  
  
Grissom instantly spotted the SUV and joined the others in the lightening fast sprint to the side door. He stared at the mess by it. Coffee and donuts were smeared across the tarmac.  
  
"Is that...is that blood?" Sara asked shakily.  
  
She pointed at the crimson droplets mingled in with the mess. Nick bent down for a closer look and gave a dark nod.  
  
"We need to get inside," He muttered.  
  
Two police officers arrived at the door with a battering ram. Grissom prayed that Julian wouldn't hear them.  
  
"On my count," Brass ordered. "One, two, three!"  
  
The battering ram smacked against the door and after a couple of hits, the door gave in and swung open. Catherine was the first inside and froze when she saw more red droplets.  
  
"Oh god," She breathed.  
  
Grissom squeezed her shoulder.  
  
"Come on Cath. I need you to be strong and focus. I need you to find Warrick," Gris told her. "You need to do this for his sake."  
  
Catherine gave him a feeble nod and stared at the drops.  
  
"The drop formation is pointing away from the door," She mumbled, following the trail. "They're leading towards the lift."  
  
She gasped at the blood smeared across the closed doors. Grissom braced himself, then hit the open door button. The doors slid open to reveal Warrick propped lifelessly against the corner of the lift, blood trickling down the wall behind him from the back of his head.  
  
"Warrick!" Catherine cried, running to his side.  
  
She knelt down beside him, touching his face with a shaky hand. He shifted slightly under her touch, moaning as he stirred.  
  
"My head," He groaned in pain.  
  
Sara handed a grateful Cath some tissues. Warrick winced, inhaling sharply as Catherine pressed them to the back of his head. He stared groggily at the faces which looked back.  
  
"What's happening? All I remember was a sharp pain in my head before everything went black. What's going on?" He asked quietly. His face then shifted to a look of panic at the worried faces. "Where's Jenny?"  
  
Grissom was about to answer when a blood-curdling scream cut him off.  
  
"Jenny!" Warrick shouted, trying to stand up, but his legs buckled and he slid back down.  
  
"Stay with him," Gris ordered Catherine before turning and sprinting towards the stairs.  
  
'Please don't let me be too late,' He pleaded. 'Please.'  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
He was getting closer and closer with every second. Jenny's heart was racing, eyes looking skittishly around the room, searching for an escape. She was desperate to get away. Desperate to get him off her.  
  
She continued to struggle violently, managing to free a leg. Without a moment hesitation, she brought her knee up between his legs. Julian yelped, collapsing to the floor in pain.  
  
Adrenaline flashed through her blood stream. One thing was certain; she needed to get Warrick's gun. At least then she had a chance to protect herself from him. But before she could get too far, a hand grasped her ankle causing her to fall to the ground, smacking the side of her face on the corner of the futon as she went.  
  
Jenny spun onto her back, the hand still gripping her ankle tightly. Her fearful eyes meet Julian's raged ones.  
  
'Got to get away,' Her head screamed, 'Got to get away!'  
  
She brought her free foot up in a swift moment under his chin. The impact caused his head to snap back. He released his grip, hands flying to his face to cradle his chin.  
  
Jenny shuffled away and dragged herself to her feet. She ran to the side table, yanking the gun out of the draw. She backed against the wall, cocking the gun and pointing it directly at Julian's head. The anger in his eyes vanished. Now his filled with fear.  
  
"Jenny," He said softly.  
  
Her hands shook violently, fingers poised to pull the trigger. All she had to do was curl a finger and it would go off. Just curl a finger and he wouldn't touch he again. He wouldn't breath again. She was only one movement away now before Julian shared the same fate as her husband.  
  
'Do it. Do it now.'  
  
The bedroom door burst open.  
  
"FREEZE!" Brass ordered, gun raised.  
  
He was joined by a couple of officers, Grissom, Nick and then Sara. The three CSIs placed away their guns. Grissom's eyes were fixed on Jenny, her gun still pointing at Julian's head.  
  
"Jenny?" Gris called gently. "Jenny, you're safe now. Put down the gun. You're safe now."  
  
She didn't move. Her eyes where still fixed petrified on Julian, gun aimed squared between his terrified eyes. Any moment now, one of her shaking fingers could set off the gun.  
  
"Jenny?" Grissom tried again. "We're here now. You're safe. So is Warrick. Everything will be ok; you're not going to get hurt. I won't let that happen. I promise."  
  
No one dared to breath as the deadly stalemate continued. The seconds had evolved into hours, as time slowly dragged on, waiting for the out come.  
  
Slowly Jenny placed the safety back on the gun. Her grip relaxed and the gun clattered to the floor. She slid down the wall, tears cascading down her face. It was over.  
  
The officers quickly cuffed Julian, who gave them little resistance. His eyes were still firmly focused on Jenny.  
  
"Jenny?" He called to her like a scared boy. "Jenny?"  
  
He struggled as they lead him out, his loud voice still calling for Jenny.  
  
The three CSIs stared at the huddled figure of tears, cradled in her own arms against the wall. They knew that one of them should move to comfort her. Try and stop the flood of tears on the hidden face.  
  
Sara was the one who answered. Sara, the one who'd never been good with people or emotions, walked over and knelt down beside her. She wrapped her arms tightly around the sobbing form of Jenny. Jenny leaned into Sara's embrace, welcoming the comfort as Sara whispered softly, trying to calm. Her tears still continued to fall heavily, but one thing was certain; she finally had her answers.  
  
A/N: What do you think? Did you guess it was him? Well one last chapter to go after this :o( You know the drill by now; hit that button and give me your thoughts. I'm waiting for them :o) 


	16. Closure

Disclaimer: I think I've made it clear by now, unless by some miracle, I don't own this. Nor do I own the song 'The Scientist' by Coldplay.  
  
A/N: Hello all. And I suppose goodbye from this story as well :o( * sob * We're finally at the last chapter. Thanks to =), MissyJane, cRaZyPiXiE, Moose, PITAchic, The Madhatter and Rose for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome. I hope you've enjoyed reading this, as I have writing it. So as usual, R&R and ENJOY!!! - Bex  
  
Dedication: To my sister, dead-batteries, for reading each chapter and giving me her thoughts and ideas. And to everyone who's reviewed. Thank you.  
  
She didn't look at him when he sat down next to her. She didn't seem to even realise that he was there. Instead, she just continued to stare at the glass of water she nursed in her hands. Grissom watched her thoughtfully. She now had her closure. All of her questioned answered. Now it was his turn.  
  
"Julian's been charged. He's going to punished for this. He'll never come near you again, I can promise that," Gris informed her softly, still receiving no response. "Are you going to tell me now?"  
  
Jenny looked up at him; "What?"  
  
"Everything," He responded. "The whole story."  
  
She dropped her gaze again, back to the glass. A rippled formed in the water as a single tear hit it.  
  
"First thing you learn when you marry into the Sinclairs," Jenny began quietly, "Is that family affairs stay within the family. They have a reputation which they never want threatened."  
  
"Is that why you didn't say anything?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"And you also knew why Ethan and Julian had fallen out?"  
  
She nodded again.  
  
"It was over you wasn't it?"  
  
She didn't respond. She didn't need to. Grissom already knew the answer.  
  
"The whole story," He pressed gently.  
  
She twisted the glass nervously in her hands.  
  
"Julian was hitting on me, like every other man, at his party. The one when I met Ethan. When I started dating his brother, he kept doing it, but I never noticed it then. I was too in love with Ethan to. He tried desperately to persuade Ethan and I not to marry each other, but I thought it was because of my background. I had no idea...."  
  
Her voice trailed off as it began to falter. Her hands shook, causing waves appeared in the glass. Grissom covered a hand with his own, the shaking beneath it reduced.  
  
"We became friends after I married Ethan," She continued, "At least I that's what I thought we were. I wanted to get along with Julian for Ethan's sake. We used to hang out and he used to help me study for my classes, but then... then he kept hitting on me. Finally, he threatened me that if I didn't sleep with him, he would tell Ethan I did, but if I did then no one would know. I was caught between my husband being told a lie and keeping a secret from him. So I told Ethan everything. My husband went ballistic and warned Julian to stay away from me..."  
  
Her hands were shaking violently again, her emotions taking over the steadiness in her voice. She turned to look at Grissom with confused and misted eyes.  
  
"I never thought that Julian could do something like this," She whispered. "And it's all my fault."  
  
Grissom took the glass from her and placed it down, then wrapped his arms around her. He held her in a comforting embrace, though she no longer seemed to have any tears left to cry.  
  
"It's not your fault Jenny," He reassured firmly. "None of this is."  
  
She pulled back and gave him a feebly smile.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you for everything."  
  
He gave her a slightly wider one, "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I owed you."  
  
She followed his gaze across the room. She could see Catherine standing there, watching them from a distance. Jenny turned back to Gris with a wider smile.  
  
"You told her then?"  
  
He nodded, "Yep."  
  
"And?"  
  
"You were right."  
  
She gave him an amused 'told-you-so' smile.  
  
"Don't be a stranger ok," Grissom told her. "If you need...anything, just call us. We're all here for you ok?"  
  
"Yeah," She promised.  
  
She gave him another hug of thanks.  
  
"Jenny?"  
  
They both turned to face the owner of the voice. Brit stood in front of them. His eyes inspected Jenny, his face a mask of concern. He hobbled towards her and she walked to meet him halfway. Gently, he touched her soft cheek with a rough hand. Unable to control them anymore, tears fell down Jenny's face. She could never hide anything from Brit.  
  
"Jenny, it's ok," He whispered softly, embracing her. "Shhhh. It's ok. It's all right now. I'm here. I'm here."  
  
Grissom didn't realise that Catherine had walked beside him until she slipped her hand into his. They watched the pair silently, like the tears pouring down Jenny's face. Both knowing the power which brought lonely souls together, binding them by their need for companionship.  
  
They watched Brit comforting Jenny, embracing her like the father she'd lost. And Jenny embraced him back, like the daughter he'd lost.  
  
~*~5 days later~*~  
  
~ Come up to meet you, Tell you I'm sorry, You don't know how lovely you are. I had to find you, Tell you I need you, Tell you I set you apart.~  
  
The skies of the Sin City were grey, as if they were also in mourning. Sara squeezed Nick's hand, grateful that he was with her. The couple and Warrick stared at the sea of people in black, crowded round the freshly dug grave. The final resting place of Ethan Sinclair: 'A man who always worked hard to achieve his goals. Beloved son and husband. May his soul R.I.P.'  
  
~Tell me your secrets, And nurse me your questions, Oh, let's go back to the start.~  
  
They spotted Jennifer Sinclair dress completely in black. Her face was stained with tears and her left cheek supported a bruise under a layer of foundation. Even now, her elegance remained. Just like her strength.  
  
~Runnin' in circles, Comin' up tails,  
  
Heads on the science apart.~  
  
Through out the ceremony, Robert and Tiffany Sinclair had kept away from her. Shunning her. Blaming her for the loss of both of his sons. She was left with Brit and Estella to provide the support she needed. Holding her hands and acting as her strength as she said her final goodbyes.  
  
~Nobody said it was easy, It's such a shame for us to part. Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard.  
  
Oh, take me back to the start.~  
  
Now the funeral was over. Jenny had just finished speaking to two other mourners, when she spotted the trio. She walked over to them, embracing Sara first, then the two men after her.  
  
~I was just guessing, The numbers and figures, Pulling the puzzles apart. Questions of science, Science and progress, Do not speak as loud as my heart~  
  
"How are you holding up?" Warrick asked, keeping a comforting hand on her arm.  
  
"I'm doing ok," She replied. "Thanks for coming. And thank you for the beautiful wreath." She nodded towards their one which lay on the grave.  
  
"That's ok," Nick said.  
  
"Sorry Grissom and Catherine can't be here," Sara apologised for them. "They had to be in court."  
  
"It's ok," Jenny insisted. "I never expected Grissom to come anyway. He seems the type to want to keep his work and privet life separate and I understand that."  
  
"We're sorry for your loss," Sara repeated the words Jenny heard from hundreds of people.  
  
She just nodded, her sad eyes looking away.  
  
~Tell me you love me, Come back and hold me, Oh, when I rush to the start. Runnin' in circles, Chasin' tails, Comin' back as we are.~  
  
"If you need us, to talk or anything, don't hesitate to ring us. We're here for you Jen," Nick reminded her.  
  
"I know."  
  
"You still want me to help you study for your exam?" Warrick asked.  
  
She nodded, "Yes. Please."  
  
She turned to look at Brit after he'd called for her.  
  
"I should go. Thanks for coming."  
  
She embraced them each again, then, the first minuet smile touched her lips that day.  
  
"You should come over for a meal when I've sorted out my apartment."  
  
"Sure. That would be great."  
  
"I'll see you," She said before turning to join the mass of ebony again.  
  
~Nobody said it was easy, Oh, it's such a shame for us to part. Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be so hard. I'm goin' back to the start.~  
  
~*~2 and a half months later~*~  
  
A half smile touched Grissom's lips as he watered his favourite plant in his office. It was the one Jenny had given him as a thank you present. He still kept the note which was attached to it by the pot; 'Sorry, they were all out of spiders. Thanks for everything ~ Jenny'  
  
He wondered how she was. He knew she'd just taken her final exams, which Warrick had constantly reminded him about. Warrick had help Jenny to revise for them and had become very attached to her over the past months. Maybe more then he should be.  
  
Jenny was going to pass. There wasn't a doubt in Gris' mind about that. And when she did, he was going to hire her and make her an official part of their 'family'.  
  
The phone's ringing broke through his thoughts. He set the watering can down and answered it.  
  
"Grissom."  
  
"Hi."  
  
The voice brought another smile to his lips; "Hey Jenny. How are you?"  
  
"I'm better. I'm doing much better. I've just taken my final exams."  
  
"I know. Warrick told me."  
  
"Oh. How are you?"  
  
"I'm good. We're all good."  
  
"Good," She repeated. "Look what are you guys doing Thursday after noon, say a few hours before work?"  
  
"Nothing that I know of. Why?"  
  
"It's just I was wondering if you and the rest of the team want to come over for a meal before your shift?"  
  
"Sure. I'll ask the rest of the team, but I'm sure it's fine."  
  
"Great," He could hear the happiness in her voice, "I'll see you then."  
  
"I'll see you then." He repeated before hanging up.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Grissom continued the walk to Laramie Apartments with a bottle of wine in one hand and Catherine in the other. Greg had told everyone he came across what he'd witnessed and before long, it had spread like wild fire. They had no chance of denying it, so instead the announced that officially they were a couple. Thus loosing Grissom's right to lecture or disapprove about Nick and Sara. But Catherine was worth that sacrifice.  
  
She blushed slightly when she noticed him staring at her.  
  
"What are you looking at Mr Grissom?"  
  
"The most beautiful woman I know Miss Willows," He replied, brushing his lips against hers.  
  
A smartly dressed doorman held the front door of the apartments open with a welcoming smile. Jenny had sold the rest of the apartment block, except for her apartment. Ironically, they had been brought by Robert Sinclair. Now the block, which was empty last time they were there, was filled with life.  
  
They walked into the lift. Grissom wrapped an arm around Catherine as he pressed the button and the lift travelled to the top floor.  
  
Gris led the way down the small corridor to the lone door. They had agreed, along with Nick and Sara, not to act 'all married' around Jenny. Gris didn't want to remind her of Ethan, causing her more pain and sorrow. He tapped on the door and they waited for her to answer.  
  
The door opened a few moments later revealing Jenny. She smiled brightly at them, embracing them and kissing a cheek as they entered. She was dressed in an elegant red dress, her hair pinned up with chopsticks. She was definitely happier since they'd last seen her.  
  
"Wow, I feel under dressed," Cath commented.  
  
Jenny laughed, "Don't worry about it. I haven't had a chance to dress up in a while, so I've used this as an excuse. Go, sit down and make yourselves at home."  
  
She interacted them towards the lounge, taking the bottle of wine into the kitchen, whilst the two CSIs made their way over to the couches. This place was a lot different since the last time they'd been here. The walls had been painted and the space filled with modern furniture and items. They found Warrick sitting, drinking a glass of wine on one of the new couches.  
  
"Hey guys."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hey Warrick. When did you get here?" Catherine asked.  
  
"An hour before you two. I've been helping Jen get things ready. Are you guy gonna sit down or what?"  
  
The two older CSIs sat down on opposite ends of the other couch. Catherine heard Warrick sigh and Gris glared at him when he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Well here you go," Jenny said as she walked back over with two glasses of wine in her hands.  
  
She stopped when she spied the couple on the couch. Eyeing Grissom first, then Cath, then the gap, she turned to Warrick. The pair exchanged a look and Jenny rolled her eyes this time, both of them sharing the same smirk.  
  
"Look you don't have to act like you're not a couple around me," She stated. "I'm fine, really I am. Anyway, I would be more upset if you didn't."  
  
Grissom and Catherine looked at each other. Without another word, Cath slid across the gap, allowing herself to snuggle up to Gris with his arm around her.  
  
"Much better," Jenny laughed as she handed them a glass each.  
  
Catherine gratefully sipped the wine, while Grissom just eyed the glass and gave Jenny a look.  
  
"I really don't know..." He began but she cut him off.  
  
"Look Gris, you've got over four hours till you need to be at work. In your hand you hold one unit of alcohol, which will be out of your blood stream in two hours, so you're fine."  
  
He raised and eyebrow only to met by her stubborn 'you-know-I'm-right' look. He sighed and took a sip, causing her to smile triumphantly.  
  
"This place looks fantastic," Cath complimented.  
  
Jenny chuckled, "There's still a whole lot of mess hidden behind those doors."  
  
"How're you doing?" Gris decided to ask, knowing that someone would sooner or later.  
  
Her smile reduced to a faint one, "I'm coping. I'm doing much better thanks."  
  
She picked up a wine glass filled with water and took a sip. Water not wine.  
  
'Curious,' Grissom thought as he studied her carefully.  
  
Something about her was different. It wasn't that fact that she was happier, it was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. Something about her had changed, but he didn't know what.  
  
There was a knock on the door again and Jenny walked over to let Sara and Nick in. They stepped inside, keeping a distance between them. Then the duo spotted Grissom and Catherine together on the couch and confusion took over their faces.  
  
"Don't worry guys. This isn't a couple free zone," Jenny teased.  
  
"Good," Nick smiled, wrapping his arms around Sara's waist and planting a kiss on her cheek.  
  
The other's burst out laughing and Sara couldn't help but blush. The teasing and conversation was broken up by the beeper in the kitchen.  
  
"Sound's like it's done," Jenny announced. "You guys can go on through and sit down."  
  
"I'll come give you a hand," Warrick offered and followed her into the kitchen.  
  
The others walked through the arch and over to the wooden dining table. Whilst the others sat down, Grissom inspected the mantelpiece. There were a few candles and ornaments on it, but it was the photo frames that caught his eye.  
  
First was the one that used to be in the study in Jenny's old home. The other he'd never seen before. It was of a girl, around 12 years old, who had Jenny's hair and eyes. Standing behind the girl, with a loving arm around her shoulders and tenderly kissing her head, was a man in his late 30's. He had a dark stubbly beard, hansom face, the same hair as Jenny's worn in a short cut and her sparkling green eyes. It was her father, Mathew Stone. Grissom stared at the two pictures which stood side by side: one of a man who had justice for his death, the other of a man who never would.  
  
"Hope you like mushroom risotto," Jenny said cheerily as she walked over carrying plates of food, followed by Warrick who was also carrying plates.  
  
Grissom smiled at her and sat down next to Catherine. Jenny and Warrick handed out the plates then took their seat at the table next to each other.  
  
"This smells great," Nick said looking carefully at the meal.  
  
Jenny raised an eyebrow, "You don't sound very convinced Mr Stokes. I did cook all my meals before I was married you know."  
  
He laughed along with the others and began to tuck in.  
  
"Mmm. This is amazing," Sara commented.  
  
"Yeah," Cath agreed. "If you're a good a CSI as you are a cook, the bad guys don't stand a chance."  
  
Warrick chuckled, "Yeah."  
  
Now Nick gave Jenny the same inquiring look she'd given him.  
  
"Are you trying to bribe your way into getting a job?" He questioned her with mock suspicious.  
  
"Well if she is, it's worked. I'm giving her a job the second her results come through," Grissom stated.  
  
The other laughed at this comment, but Jenny remained silent.  
  
"I won't be joining the team when I get my results back," Jenny informed them quietly.  
  
They all stopped eating and stared at her. For so long she'd worked hard to become a CSI and now she didn't want that anymore?  
  
"Why?" Grissom asked, confused and saddened by the sudden change of heart.  
  
"Because I'm pregnant with Ethan's child," She announced softly.  
  
The silence, which had settled, made her words sound a lot louder then they were. The minute dragged by, as everyone remained frozen with their eyes fixed on Jenny. Then Catherine got up and walked over to her.  
  
"Congratulations," She beamed hugging Jenny. "How far along are you?"  
  
"Bout three months," Jenny replied returning the hug, a look of relief flooding her face.  
  
Grissom watched as the other CSIs got up and followed Catherine's suit; embracing Jenny and giving her words of congratulations.  
  
'The hidden truth,' Grissom mused watching them, 'is the one we never see coming. Maybe we've just ignored all the warning signs or maybe there wasn't any in the first place. Either way, it comes as a huge shock to us. And that's when we need friends and family to be there for us, to remind us that no matter what they care and will support us.'  
  
Everyone else had congratulated Jenny about the news, now Grissom was the only one left who hadn't. Jenny looked at him like an anxious daughter awaiting her father's approval. He slowly stood up and walked over to her. His blue eyes were held by her emerald ones.  
  
"I'm happy for you Jenny. It's brilliant news," He told her smiling as he embraced her.  
  
He felt her body relax and she hugged him back. He looked over her shoulder and his eyes meet the smiling face of Ethan's, which would forever remain a memory caught on film.  
  
'Don't worry Ethan,' He told him silently, 'Jenny's has friends,' He looked briefly at the others, 'she has family. And we're going to always be there and take good care of her and your child. I promise.'  
  
~*~The End~*~  
  
A/N: Well there you have it. I've been thinking about writing a sequel, bringing back characters like Jenny and Brit. Please tell me what you think about that idea and what you thoughts of the last chapter are. For one last time for this story, HIT THAT BUTTON NOW!!!! :o)  
  
Thanks to all who've reviewed this: MissyJane(x13), The Madhatter(x12), Moose(x9), PITAchic(x7), pdhtgal(x5), AetherIris(x4), jhfortier(x4), JMNchik21(x4), shondie(x4), loco(x3), cRaZyPiXiE(x3), A Bloom(x2), Pagan(x2), =)(x2), Sara Sidle Stokes, Melindotty, me, Emily, csiAngel, JulietNickluver, d-kronk, Chosen Rogue, Jessica, jnp, Emmy, csichicagolove, Brianna, loco, ***son, undacoveragent9, anonymous, Charming- Storm, Catherine, lil smiles and last but not least Rose.  
  
I couldn't have done it with your reviews. Your feedback really helped and inspired me to write this, so here's a big :oD and a huge round of applauses for you guys. I hope you review my fics in future.  
  
Bye for now - Bex (I'll be back!) 


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